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Sheldon Keefe

Toronto Hires Spencer Carbery As Assistant Coach

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have plucked one of the top coaches from the AHL ranks to take over their vacancy at assistant coach. The team has announced that Hershey Bears head coach Spencer Carbery has been hired to join Sheldon Keefe’s staff. Carbery replaces Dave Hakstol, who left to become the inaugural head coach of the Seattle Kraken.

Even as a minor league coach, Carbery should be a recognizable name for many. The 39-year-old is the reigning AHL Coach of the Year, named the recipient of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award after leading Hershey to a 24-7-2-0 record. Carbery only just completed his third season as an AHL head coach, but in that time the Bears went 104-50-9-8 for a .658 points percentage that was among the AHL’s best in that span. Carbery previously won the ECHL Coach of the Year Award as well, taking home the honor in his third of five seasons spent as the head coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the South Carolina Stingrays. He is no stranger to Ontario either, spending one season as the head coach of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.

Carbery is a well-regarded head coach and should be a natural fit with a Toronto staff that is young and innovative, much like the culture of the team. There could be an adjustment period, seeing as Carbery has no NHL experience to this point, but having fellow young coaches around who went through the same transition not long ago will help the process. Meanwhile, Carbery’s loss will be felt in a major way in Hershey and the Washington Capitals must now work quickly to find a new bench boss for their AHL affiliate.

Toronto Maple Leafs Hire Dean Chynoweth

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have found a replacement for Dave Hakstol, who recently left the organization to become the first head coach of the Seattle Kraken. Toronto has hired Dean Chynoweth as an assistant coach after he spent the last three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe released a short statement:

After spending time with Dean, it became clear that his knowledge, passion and personality would make him the right fit. We’re fortunate to add someone of his quality and experience to our staff.

Chynoweth, 52, has a long history in the WHL, as a head coach, general manager and even franchise owner. He also served in the NHL with the New York Islanders for three seasons and has experience as a head coach in the AHL. All of that coaching experienced followed a long playing career, which included stops with the Islanders and Boston Bruins. The tough-guy defenseman racked up 667 penalty minutes in his 241-game career.

It’s the defense that he’ll be responsible for in Toronto, given he is replacing Hakstol on the staff. The team has taken a few big steps forward in that regard over the last few seasons with the additions of T.J. Brodie and Jake Muzzin, but will obviously need to continue to develop their young options to fill out the depth chart.

Coaching Notes: Vincent, Hakstol, Boudreau, Tocchet

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New Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen is adding to his staff. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Blue Jackets are set to hire Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent as an assistant to Larsen. Vincent had previously left Paul Maurice’s Winnipeg Jets staff in favor of being the head coach for their AHL affiliate, but seemingly is back to being open to an NHL assistant role. Vincent has spent the past decade with the Jets organization and the previous dozen years as a head coach and GM in the QMJHL. With an impressive resume, Vincent may see this Columbus opportunity as a way to get his name out there beyond the confines of Winnipeg in hopes of attracting NHL head coach attention of his own down the road. Vincent will re-unite with Jack Roslovic in Columbus; he previously coached him as a prospect with the Moose but he has now become the No. 1 center for the Blue Jackets. That relationship should be mutually beneficial for the pair.

  • The big coaching news of the day was of course the hiring of Dave Hakstol as the first head coach of the expansion Seattle Kraken. And while Hakstol’s role will be in the locker room and not the front office, GM Ron Francis will certainly take his opinions into consideration. After all, it was the Florida Panthers, the former team of Vegas’ inaugural head coach, Gerard Gallant, that were swindled the worst by the Golden Knights in the last Expansion Draft. Florida traded Reilly Smith and a fourth-round pick so that Vegas would select Jonathan Marchessault over the likes of Alexander Petrovic and Mark Pysyk. While no teams should be fooled so badly this time around, Hakstol’s knowledge of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadephia Flyers – not to mention the numerous University of North Dakota alumni around the league – could come into play. The Flyers in particular are expected to have many well-known names exposed in the draft, some of whom played their best seasons under Hakstol, and the coach may know exactly how to target the team.
  • The Maple Leafs now have a vacancy on their coaching staff in the wake of Hakstol’s departure, but the club’s fans think they have already figured it out. Yahoo’s Thomas Williams writes that there has already been an outpouring of support for veteran coach Bruce Boudreau to be hired as the team’s newest assistant. The Toronto native and former Maple Leafs player spoke out this off-season as a free agent that he would like to coach his hometown team and fans seem to agree with the match. Boudreau has had a long and successful coaching career and some feel that head coach Sheldon Keefe could use the veteran support on the bench. With that said, Boudreau has never served as an assistant in the NHL and interviewed for the Buffalo Sabres’ head coach vacancy late last month. Despite any personal feelings and fan support, Boudreau will take the top job for the struggling Sabres over a No. 2 role for Toronto.
  • Of course, Boudreau is not the only candidate for the Sabres’ job, as Rick Tocchet is also among the names who interviewed for the position. Tocchet interviewed multiple times with the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and Seattle Kraken, only to lose out on all three jobs. He has reportedly only interviewed once with Buffalo, who may not have been his top choice at first, but they are the only landing spot left, as the other remaining NHL head coach position is the post he vacated with the Arizona Coyotes. Tocchet is clearly a well-regarded and sought-after coach, so now that they are his last hope at a top job this season, perhaps the Sabres and Tocchet will get serious about a potential match.

Playoff Notes: Wahlstrom, Merrill, Lauzon, Foligno, Reaves

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It’s the postseason which of course means injuries. And while players often try to play through their ailments come playoff time, it’s not always possible. This appears to be the case for young New York Islander forward Oliver Wahlstrom. The dynamic winger was injured in Game Five of the Isles’ first round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins and did not appear in Game Six. Per Newsday’s Andrew Gross, head coach Barry Trotz stated on Friday that Wahlstrom is trying to work his way back into the lineup, but remains “doubtful” for Game One against the Boston Bruins. Saturday’s morning skate did not bring any update and it appears as though Wahlstrom will miss at least one more outing. Whatever injury he has sustained, New York is clearly concerned that it many linger. They have yet to disclose any details about Wahlstrom’s condition, likely to protect him should he fight through the pain and return to the lineup.

  • While the Montreal Canadiens hope to stay alive on Saturday night in order to see a Game Seven with the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Jon Merrill will need much more than just one or even two wins if he is to see the ice again this postseason. The Canadiens have announced that Merrill will not play in Game Six, replaced in the lineup by Brett Kulak, and further comments by interim head coach Dominique Ducharme suggested that Merrill’s timeline for return is likely 7-to-14 days. If the Canadiens are to survive another week or two in the playoffs, they not only will need to complete an unlikely comeback against Toronto, but will also have to be the first team to defeat the Winnipeg Jets this postseason. It’s a tall task, especially without their solid deadline acquisition on the back end.
  • The Boston Bruins announced the opposite news this morning, with head coach Bruce Cassidy welcoming defenseman Jeremy Lauzon back to the lineup, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. Lauzon missed most of the team’s first round series with the Washington Capitals after taking a shot off the hand in Game One. With Kevan Miller also sidelined following a head injury in the series, Lauzon’s return will provide the Bruins with much-needed support on their bottom pair and adds a top penalty killer back to the lineup.
  • Nick Foligno was a full participant in morning skate for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was wearing a regular practice jersey, but TSN’s Kristen Shilton warns not to read into that too much. Foligno has appeared to be ready for previous games in this series, but has nevertheless missed each of the past three match-ups with a lower-body injury. Shilton adds that he did not look comfortable at morning skate. Head coach Sheldon Keefe also noted that Foligno remains a game-time decision, so Shilton appears to be right to caution any expectation that the big deadline addition will suit up.
  • Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves was the cause of an injury on Friday night, shoving Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter face-first into the post. The check earned him a two-minute penalty for interference, but there was plenty of speculation that it could result in a suspension, especially given Reaves’ spotty reputation. However, it appears the grinder will move forward with his postseason scot-free. Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now reports that Reaves will not have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety and as such will not receive any supplemental discipline. The stars of the Colorado Avalanche will have to watch for Reaves (and watch out for their faces) in Round Two.

Zach Hyman Out At Least Two Weeks With Sprained MCL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t even have trade deadline acquisition Nick Foligno on the active roster yet, but the team is already glad that they added some forward depth. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has informed the media, including Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, that forward Zach Hyman has suffered a sprained MCL, the result of a knee-to-knee hit on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks that earned Alex Edler a two-game suspension. Hyman is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks.

By all accounts, this is actually the best prognosis that Hyman could have expected. The knee injury he suffered looked serious, both in terms of the actual collision and as Hyman had to be helped off the ice. The possibility that he could return by the end of the month or even early next month is an ideal result for the Leafs, all things considered. However, if the recovery takes longer than two weeks, there is a possibility that Hyman could miss the remainder of the regular season. Toronto has just 11 games remaining over 26 days, so all it would take is for Hyman to miss the “minimum” recover window by a week or so and he would miss out on a chance to return to the lineup before the playoffs.

Fortunately, the Maple Leafs are comfortably in a playoff position. The North Division leaders face no risk of dropping out of the postseason, even if they do miss Hyman for the rest of the season. While holding off the Winnipeg Jets (four points back) and Edmonton Oilers (seven points back with two games in hand), could prove more difficult without their top two-way forward, Toronto is still the favorite to take the top seed, especially with Foligno coming in to help make up for Hyman’s absence. Hyman does not seem to be in risk of missing any playoff action either, where his defensive ability and career-best offense will be most needed.

Snapshots: AHL, PWHPA, Simmonds

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The Utica Comets have had their Friday matchup against the Rochester Americans has been postponed due to COVID protocols, with a make-up date not yet announced. The Americans have been dealing with their own COVID outbreak, but this postponement is apparently due to protocols affecting the Comets.  Rochester hasn’t played since March 10 and is now postponed until at least March 24, their next scheduled game against Utica.

It’s not just those two teams facing a developing situation either. The Grand Rapids Griffins and Chicago Wolves have also had their matchup for tomorrow postponed, though in the release there is some optimism it can be rescheduled soon. In this unique, irregular schedule, minor league players are certainly not experiencing the same kind of grind a normal AHL season entails.

  • The PWHPA has formed a partnership with another NHL team, this time linking up with the St. Louis Blues to play a showcase at the Enterprise Center on April 12. The tour had already partnered with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs previously and have announced this showcase in St. Louis will be the last one before players go to international camps for the women’s World Championships in May. The event will also include a game at the Centene Community Ice Center on April 11.
  • Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Wayne Simmonds’ return from a broken wrist is “imminent” though wouldn’t commit to playing him tomorrow night against the Calgary Flames. Simmonds’ return should have an impact on the trade deadline as the Maple Leafs have been very open about their desire to add a forward down the stretch. When ready, the team will need to activate Simmonds from long-term injured reserve and add his $1.5MM cap hit back to the roster. That move will further complicate an already tight cap situation in Toronto that will make any deadline moves difficult and may force them to send money out at the same time.

Injury Notes: Mrazek, Letang, Thornton

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The Carolina Hurricanes are going to be without starting goaltender Petr Mrazek for longer than initially thought. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today that the injury suffered against the Dallas Stars on Saturday is “more serious” than they originally believed and Mrazek may even require surgery. That’s terrible news for a goaltender who was leading the league with a .955 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average through his first four appearances. Mrazek had already recorded two shutouts on the year and looked to be playing at an entirely different level in the early going.

For the Hurricanes, it means James Reimer will take most of the load, while minor league netminder Alex Nedeljkovic will get a chance to serve as the primary backup. The 25-year-old Nedeljkovic was placed on waivers earlier this season but the Hurricanes managed to hold onto him. He has just six appearances at the NHL level but won the AHL Goaltender of the Year award in 2019, leading the Charlotte Checkers to a Calder Cup.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t have Kris Letang in the lineup tonight as the star defenseman continues to be evaluated for an injury he suffered on Saturday night. The Penguins have lost almost all of their defensive depth to injury this season, but at least one silver lining continues to grow. Pierre-Olivier Joseph has been a shining light for the team in the early going and logged nearly 26 minutes against the New York Rangers on Saturday in just his fifth NHL game. He’ll be asked to carry a heavy load if Letang is out long-term, given the lack of offensive upside many of the other options possess.
  • Joe Thornton and Nicholas Robertson were both on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs today as they continue to work their way back from injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that nothing has changed in the recovery timelines originally given, which were a minimum of four weeks. The Maple Leafs have a few days off before resuming the grind of the condensed season on Thursday in the first of three straight games against the Vancouver Canucks.

Jack Campbell Out “Weeks” With Leg Injury

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The Toronto Maple Leafs lost some of their goaltending depth when Aaron Dell was claimed off waivers earlier this season, and now the position group will be tested even further. Jack Campbell will be out “weeks” with a leg injury according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who spoke to reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN before tonight’s matchup against the Calgary Flames. That means Michael Hutchinson is once again the team’s backup, while Joseph Woll has been recalled to the taxi squad.

Despite winning five of their first seven games and sitting tied for first place in the North Division, the Maple Leafs will shake up the lineup tonight with several changes. Travis Dermott, Jason Spezza, and Alexander Barabanov are all expected to come out in favor of Mikko Lehtonen, Joey Anderson, and Travis Boyd, the latter two getting their first game action of the season. Toronto has been outscored at even-strength this season and is looking to change that, though much of the responsibility will still fall to the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.

Campbell seemed to suffer the injury late in Monday’s game, just before the Matthew Tkachuk incident that incensed so many Maple Leafs fans. The 29-year-old had been oh-so-good for Toronto since arriving last season, posting a .917 save percentage in eight appearances. That’s not necessarily out of character, even if Campbell hasn’t quite lived up to the 11th-overall pick that the Dallas Stars used on him in 2010. Over 66 NHL games, he now has a .916 save percentage and was likely on his way to earning more playing time from the Maple Leafs.

Hutchinson meanwhile flamed out in Toronto a year ago, but managed to get his career back on track with the Colorado Avalanche when he was forced into action in the postseason bubble. In four appearances the journeyman netminder had a .910, leading to the Maple Leafs bringing him back as the fourth-string option this offseason. That four has turned into a two in the span of a week, meaning Frederik Andersen will need to carry the net for the next while.

Joe Thornton Out With Fractured Rib

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2:00pm: Thornton has been moved to long-term injured reserve, meaning he must miss at least ten games and 24 days. It will give the Maple Leafs some added cap flexibility in his absence but certainly won’t excite many fans that were holding out hope for a quick comeback.

9:45am: The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without the services of Joe Thornton for at least the next month, as head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN this morning that the veteran forward suffered a fractured rib in Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. For at least one game, Toronto will actually be missing two-thirds of their top line as Auston Matthews is also listed as day-to-day with upper-body soreness and will not play tonight. Pierre Engvall, Alexander Barabanov, and Adam Brooks will be inserted into the lineup.

The Maple Leafs’ forward depth has already been an issue this season, with Thornton, Barabanov, Jimmy Vesey, Wayne Simmonds, Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Spezza, and Nick Robertson combining for just two goals and five points through the first five games. That’s a total of 27 games played from the depth forwards without much to show for it, as Toronto has relied heavily on their top guns to carry the offensive load. Now with Matthews—who was averaging more than 23 minutes a game through the early part of the season—out, the team will need someone else to step up and put the puck in the net.

For Thornton, missing a month in a condensed season is much more concerning. The 41-year-old legend could miss a quarter of the 56-game schedule, meaning his spot on the top line will have to be filled with someone else as he works to get back into the lineup. It’s hard to know how long he’ll take to get back up to speed and whether he’ll be able to contribute at the level he is used to.

Toronto Maple Leafs Hire Paul MacLean

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another familiar name to their coaching staff, hiring Paul MacLean as an assistant today. MacLean most recently served as an assistant on the Columbus Blue Jackets bench, but is coming back to Ontario where he was head coach of the Ottawa Senators for four seasons.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe released a statement on his new staff member:

Over nearly two decades as an NHL coach, Paul has filled every role on a coaching staff, winning a Stanley Cup and Jack Adams trophy along the way. Adding someone of Paul’s expertise and character to advise and assist our staff is something that we felt was very important as we seek to make tangible steps next season.

Ironically enough, MacLean actually served for several years in Detroit and Anaheim under former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, who Keefe replaced last season. He has also worked with Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim, another name that was rumored to be in the mix for the Toronto staff. Instead, he’ll be the one joining Keefe, incumbent assistant Dave Hakstol and newcomer Manny Malhotra in Toronto.

MacLean is expected to be the “eye-in-the-sky” for the Maple Leafs according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, the role that Malhotra held for the Vancouver Canucks before coming to Toronto. In his only time as a head coach, MacLean actually took the Senators to the playoffs twice, posting a 114-90-35 record with the team. He took home the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year in 2013. He was also a star player in his day, recording 324 goals and 673 points in 719 career NHL games.

If you are wondering what kind of relationship MacLean and Keefe will have given the former’s experience as an NHL head coach, remember that Keefe’s long-time minor league and junior assistant A.J. MacLean is Paul’s son.

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