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Maple Leafs Activate John Tavares And Matthew Knies, Assign Nikita Grebenkin To AHL

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The Maple Leafs will welcome back a pair of key forwards for their game tonight against Edmonton.  Head coach Craig Berube told reporters including David Alter of The Hockey News that center John Tavares and winger Matthew Knies will suit up against the Oilers.  After sending Jacob Quillan down yesterday, Toronto needed to make one more roster move to add both players to the active roster.  Per the NHL’s media site, that move was returning winger Nikita Grebenkin to AHL Toronto.

Tavares missed the last couple of weeks due to a lower-body injury after getting injured in practice when his skate collided with teammate Chris Tanev’s.  Despite the short-term setback, it has been a solid season for the 34-year-old pending unrestricted free agent.  Tavares has 20 goals and 22 assists through 44 games this season while winning nearly 57% of his faceoffs and will return to anchoring Toronto’s second line.

As for Knies, he only missed a week and a half due to an upper-body injury that he clarified was a shoulder issue.  The sophomore has already passed his goal total from a year ago (15) as he has 18 goals and 13 assists through 47 games.  Knies has spent a lot of time on the top line which has him well-positioned heading into restricted free agency this summer and is expected to line up on that unit again tonight.

Grebenkin, meanwhile, was recalled last weekend when Connor Dewar landed on IR.  However, while he got into seven games with the big club earlier in the season, he didn’t see any game action this time around.  The rookie has eight goals and eight assists in 29 games with the Marlies in his first season of action in North America.

Hakanpaa Won't Play At 4 Nations Face-Off

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  • The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Jani Hakanpaa will not play in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off due to his ongoing knee injury. He has been limited to just two appearances with Toronto this season, both of those coming in mid-November.  He becomes the second blueliner that Team Finland will need to replace with Miro Heiskanen also out of commission.

Quillan Assigned To AHL, No Timeline For Hakanpaa's Return

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  • The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned forward Jacob Quillan back to AHL Toronto. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last weekend but was limited to just over five minutes of playing time.  Quillan has 15 points in 35 games with the Marlies so far and is in the first season of a two-year entry-level deal signed as an undrafted free agent after a strong college career with Quinnipiac University.
  • Still with the Maple Leafs, head coach Craig Berube told reporters including TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link) that he does not have a timeline for defenseman Jani Hakanpaa’s return. The 32-year-old has been limited to just two games this season as he continues to battle knee issues going back to the 2023-24 campaign.  Hakanpaa is slated to play for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off but with how much time he has missed, it wouldn’t be surprising if he winds up being replaced for that event even though he is skating.

Shawn Simpson Passes Away At Age 56

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Shawn Simpson, a long-time member of the Ottawa Senators radio broadcast booth with TSN, has tragically passed away at 56, as the team announced.

Simpson entered professional hockey in the 1986 NHL Draft when the Washington Capitals selected him with the 60th overall pick. Unfortunately, besides two playoff games as a backup netminder, Simpson never played in the NHL with the Capitals and retired relatively quickly after the 1990-91 season.

He remained with the Capitals organization as a color commentator for several years while pursuing his education at Georgetown University. It was not until the 1993-94 season that Simpson transitioned into Washington’s front office to become a professional scout.

The Capitals promoted Simpson to director of hockey operations ahead of the 1997-98 season. Alongside general manager George McPhee, Simpson helped steer Washington to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history that spring.

Simpson continued as the Capitals’ director of hockey operations until the 2003-04 season when he decided to move closer to his hometown. He spent four years as a professional scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs before ending his tenure in the front office.

After spending many years away from his hometown of Gloucester, Ontario, Simpson joined TSN in 2012 as the co-host of “The Drive” radio show and as an on-air personality for Ottawa’s post-game broadcasts. In 2013, he transitioned to a new show called “Mornings” and continued to collaborate closely with the Senators organization.

In 2023, Bell Media, the controlling owner of TSN, ended its contract with Simpson. However, he remained a significant figure in Ottawa and with the Senators until the dreadful news broke this morning.

We at Pro Hockey Rumors send our condolences to Simpson’s family, friends, and peers.

Maple Leafs Activate Max Pacioretty, Place Matthew Knies On IR

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have activated veteran winger Max Pacioretty off of injured reserve. He has missed the team’s last three games with an upper-body injury. It wasn’t apparent when Pacioretty suffered the injury, which first popped up when he missed practice on January 20th. In a corresponding move, Toronto has also placed winger Matthew Knies on injured reserve with his own upper-body injury. Knies was injured one week ago, after taking a hard hit from Kirill Marchenko in the second period of Toronto’s January 22nd loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Knies’ IR designation can be made retroactive to that game, allowing Toronto to activate him as soon as he’s back to full health. Knies will still be on a ticking clock, though, with just two games left on Toronto’s schedule before they go on a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off.

Losing Knies has been a hard blow the Maple Leafs lineup. The team has lost each of their last two games, getting held to one goal in both outings. Rookie Jacob Quillan received his NHL debut in Knies’ absence on Saturday, but the lineup vacancy will now turn back over to Pacioretty. The 17-year-pro has had a quiet season, marred by injuries, in his first year with the Maple Leafs. He has just five goals and 12 points through 32 games, a far lower scoring pace than he managed even just last year, when Pacioretty netted 23 points in 47 games for the Washington Capitals. Returning from injury will give Pacioretty a chance to snap the eight-game scoring drought he was riding prior to injury. He had six points, split evenly, in nine games prior to that drought – painting a clear picture of a hot-and-cold season.

Even with Pacioretty back, the Leafs will miss Knies for as long as he stays out. The 22-year-old winger is once again showing signs of improvement, with 18 goals and 31 points in 47 games this season. That’s a 54-point scoring pace across 82 games, far better than the 35 points Knies scored in 80 games last year. He’s earned a strong top-six role with that production, averaging nearly 18-and-a-half minutes each game. There’s been no indication of just how much longer Knies may miss, but he’ll be quickly slotted back into the top of Toronto’s lineup as soon as he’s back. Notably, head coach Craig Berube said that he plans to provide goaltender Anthony Stolarz with every chance he can to return before the team’s 4-Nations break. That mindset could also help Knies get back onto the ice before the team returns on February 22nd.

Afternoon Notes: Kulich, Stolarz, Savage, Durzi

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The Buffalo Sabres cleared up space in their bottom six by placing winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel on waivers. After the team’s practice, head coach Lindy Ruff shared that the decision was influenced by how well 20-year-old Jiri Kulich has performed as of late, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Ruff elaborated that the team will face a roster crunch with Jordan Greenway expected to return to practice soon. An undisclosed injury has forced Greenway out of 28 of Buffalo’s last 32 games.

Through the weeds of roster moves, this news shines a spotlight on Kulich. The young center recorded the first three-point game of his career last Tuesday, and was promptly awarded with the most ice time of his career on Thursday. Kulich didn’t manage any scoring, but made sure to find the scoresheet in Buffalo’s Saturday game – scoring one goal on a career-high seven shots. He’s playing much more confident and determined than he was earlier in the year, and the Sabres seem ready to reward him with a hardier role and a chance to prove his worth.

Across the Atlantic Division, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told media after practice that he won’t hold back goaltender Anthony Stolarz if he’s healthy before the league breaks for the 4-Nations Face-Off, captured in a video from TSN. Stolarz participated in his first full practice after missing the last 21 games with a knee injury. He’s been upgraded to day-to-day and nearing a return, but will have just five chances left to return before the Leafs go on a two-week break.

Stolarz effectively leads the league in save percentage among goalies with 10-or-more games played. He’s recorded a .927 through just 17 games this season, backed by a stout 9-5-2 record. Stolarz seemed to be the reliability in net that Toronto had been seeking, but his untimely injury has put the team in a challenging spot. The Leafs have been outscored 70-to-69 since Stolarz’s injury, though they’ve still managed a 12-9-0 record. His return will be hotly anticipated as, hopefully, the catalyzing piece of a second-half run in Toronto.

Traveling south of Toronto, Michigan State Spartans captain and Detroit Red Wings prospect Redmond Savage has suffered a season-ending injury, Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale told local reporter Conor Earegood of Detroit News Sports. Savage’s season will end with 11 points in 20 games – a dip in scoring pace from his 27 points in 38 games last season, but still a better pace than his two years at Miami University of Ohio. Detroit drafted Savage in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, but haven’t yet signed him to his entry-level contract. They will lose his rights next summer if he doesn’t sign.

Finally, out in the plains of the Western Conference, Utah Hockey Club defender Sean Durzi returned to the team’s practices on Tuesday. Durzi has missed Utah’s last 45 games with a shoulder injury. Head coach Andre Tourigny joked about the defender’s return to Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune, saying that Durzi looked a bit rusty but that the team is incredibly excited to have him back. Utah signed Durzi to a four-year, $24MM contract this summer, but he’s so far only played four games on the deal. He was still productive enough to illicit excitement in the brief showing – recording two assists, seven penalty minutes, and a +2. Durzi will likely return to a role on Utah’s second pair, once he eases his way back to full practice.

Knies Listed As Day-To-Day

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  • Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies briefly skated before practice on Friday with head coach Craig Berube telling reporters including Nick Barden of The Hockey News that Knies is listed as day-to-day. He sustained an upper-body injury on Wednesday against Columbus.  The 22-year-old has already set a new career best for goals this season with 18 in 47 games, positioning him well when it comes to contract discussions this summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent.

Maple Leafs Place Connor Dewar On Injured Reserve, Recall Nikita Grebenkin

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The Maple Leafs have made a pair of roster moves heading into tonight’s Battle of Ontario against Ottawa.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have placed center Connor Dewar on injured reserve.  Taking his place on the roster is winger Nikita Grebenkin who was recalled from AHL Toronto.

Dewar was acquired by the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline last season in a move intended to add some extra depth down the middle and help on the penalty kill.  He wound up with 11 goals and eight assists in 79 games between Minnesota and Toronto while suiting up in six of their seven playoff contests.  That helped earn him a one-year, $1.18MM deal from the Maple Leafs this past summer.  He’ll be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at that time.

But things haven’t gone as well for the 25-year-old this season.  Dewar, who is dealing with an upper-body injury at the moment, missed 14 games with a shoulder injury earlier in the year and has even been healthy scratched periodically as well.  When he has played, Dewar has been quite limited as he has just three assists in 29 games while his playing time is just over ten minutes a night compared to nearly 13 down the stretch with them last season.  The placement is retroactive to January 20th so he’ll be eligible to return as soon as Wednesday against his former team in Minnesota.

As for Grebenkin, he’s in his first season in North America after putting up 41 points in 67 KHL games last season.  He has spent the bulk of the campaign with the Marlies, posting eight goals and eight assists in 29 games.  He did get into seven games with the Maple Leafs earlier in the season and was held off the scoresheet while recording 13 hits in 8:45 of playing time per night.

Stolarz Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery, Shouldn't Be Out Much Longer

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  • Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is ahead of schedule in his recovery from his knee injury, relays David Alter of The Hockey News.  He has missed nearly six weeks due to the injury but head coach Craig Berube believes the goalie won’t be out for much longer.  Before getting hurt, Stolarz was off to a very strong start to his season, putting up a 2.15 GAA with a .927 SV% in his first 17 starts; that save percentage still leads the league among qualifying netminders.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Matt Murray, Reassign Dennis Hildeby

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Although they don’t play until Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs are making a small move between the pipes. Toronto announced they’ve recalled veteran netminder Matt Murray and reassigned goaltender Dennis Hildeby to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

It’ll be Murray’s first opportunity back in the NHL over the last month. Due to injuries, the veteran puck-stopper hadn’t played a game for the Maple Leafs since April 2, 2023, and returned to the NHL toward the end of the 2024 calendar year.

His first start in 628 days came against the Buffalo Sabres when Murray stopped 24 of 27 shots and secured the win. His next start wasn’t as productive, stopping only 27 of 31 shots for a .871 save percentage in a loss against the Washington Capitals.

Still, his time with AHL Toronto has been more than fruitful this year, earning an 8-4-3 record in 15 games with a .934 SV%, 1.68 goals-against average, and three shutouts. The 30-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario is in a difficult situation where he hasn’t recently been healthy enough to be a consistent netminder in the NHL and is almost too good for the AHL.

Hildeby returns to a familiar environment after playing backup duty for Joseph Woll for the last month. He was hardly used by the Maple Leafs during that stretch, posting a 1-2-0 record in three starts against the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively, with a .868 SV%. His track record this year and beyond has been much better for the Marlies where Hildeby has managed a .916 SV% in eight games on the current campaign.

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