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Archives for February 2021

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/14/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. The league is still awaiting updated lists from the Sabres and Avalanche, but the following are the complete results from the other 29 teams:

Arizona – John Hayden
Buffalo – Dylan Cozens, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen
Colorado –  Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou
Minnesota –  Nick Bonino, Jonas Brodin, Ian Cole, Brad Hunt, Victor Rask, Carson Soucy, Nico Sturm, Cam Talbot
New Jersey – Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Nico Hischier, Dmitry Kulikov, Travis Zajac
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel*
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Morgan Frost, Claude Giroux, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek, Travis Konecny*
Vegas – Tomas Nosek

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres; Calvin Pickard, Detroit Red Wings; Blake Lizotte, Los Angeles Kings; Jesper Bratt, Connor Carrick, Eric Comrie, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils; Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers; Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

It’s another strong net positive day for the CPRA. The only true addition to the list comes in the form of Flyers forward Konecny. The other addition, Dzingel, has entered the required quarantine period for any player crossing into Canada after he was dealt to Ottawa by Carolina on Saturday, but by all accounts has not qualified for any other reason. Meanwhile, the Red Wings and Lightning wipe the slate clean while the Devils take a major step forward with eight players coming off the list. Joining Dahlin back at Sabres practice today was also head coach Ralph Krueger, a welcome sight after his own bout with Coronavirus.

While the situations in Buffalo and Colorado remain undetermined at this point, the Devils appear to be on the mend and Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason stated that he expects some of his players to begin coming off the list soon as well. If the situation in Philadelphia can be sorted out – especially with their Lake Tahoe game coming up next weekend – the NHL could be looking at a refreshingly short CPRA by this time next week.

 

Minor Transactions: 02/14/21

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Today is supposed to be about significant others, and the NHL did their part with just two games on the docket, but there are some significant moves worth paying attention to as well, both at home and abroad. Keep up with all of the day’s minor transactions right here:

  • In some surprising news that will certainly require a follow-up, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have released Nick Pastujov from his AHL contract, according to league’s transaction log. Pastujov, a New York Islanders 2016 draft pick, signed with Bridgeport this fall following a successful four-year stint at the University of Michigan. Although the Isles seemingly felt he was not ready for an entry-level contract, they wanted to keep the prospect winger within the organization. Yet, without having even played a game for the Sound Tigers, Pastujov has been released from the team. It is unclear whether this was his decision or if the move was prompted by the club. The oldest of three brothers, with Michael also at Michigan and Sasha bound for Notre Dame and looking like a potential first-round NHL draft pick, Nick looked primed to begin the Pastujov era in pro hockey. It will be interesting to see what comes next for the young forward.
  • Another problem prospect for the Islanders, Joshua Ho-Sang is on the move again. Still technically under contract with New York, Ho-Sang was loaned to the SHL’s Orebro HK last month. After just five games – and one point – that relationship has already been terminated. Ho-Sang has now signed on with another Swedish club, Linkoping HC, hopefully for the rest of the season, the team announced. Ho-Sang will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, but it seems unlikely that the Islanders will extend a qualifying offer.
  • After bouncing around the AHL over the past few seasons, former Winnipeg Jets defenseman Julian Melchiori has found a home in Germany. Melchiori, who had played on an NHL contract in each of his first eight pro seasons, became an unrestricted free agent this off-season when his contract with the New Jersey Devils expired. Unable to find another NHL deal, Melchiori first signed in the KHL but terminated his deal in favor of a contract with the DEL’s Grizzlys Wolfsburg. Germany’s top league also had a delayed start to their season, but in just 15 games so far Melchiori has apparently impressed his new club and has enjoyed the fit himself. Wolfsburg has announced that the two sides have already agreed to a one-year extension. The team’s release called Melchiori a “leader” and “top performer” who “integrated very quickly”.
  • Another former NHL defenseman, Marc-Andre Gragnani, has signed a new contract in Europe as well. Gragnani has inked a deal for the remainder of the SHL season with Djurgardens IF, the team announced. Since he last played in the NHL as a member of the New Jersey Devils in 2015-16, Gragnani has been stellar for the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk and Kunlun Red Star as one of the better offensive defensemen in the league. Even at 33, it would not be a surprise if Gragnani’s late signing this season was due to his desire to find a contract in the NHL. A journeyman in his North American days who was always far more effective in the AHL than the NHL, Gragnani no doubt has more confidence after several high-scoring seasons in Europe. He will have to re-focus now on helping his new Swedish club, as Djurgardens is still fighting for a playoff spot despite severely lacking talent on the blue line.

Latest On The Hurricanes-Senators Trade

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Yesterday’s surprise trade that saw three impending free agents swapped, with Ryan Dzingel returning to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for role players Cedric Paquette and Alex Galchenyuk moving to the Carolina Hurricanes, provided more questions than answers. Speaking on Sportsnet’s broadcast of Hockey Night In Canada on Saturday, Chris Johnston tried to provide some explanation or at least some projection on what it could all mean. Johnston clarifies that the centerpiece of the deal is really Paquette, who is expected to stabilize the Hurricanes’ fourth line over the remainder of the season and very likely into the playoffs. As for Dzingel and Galchenyuk, he warned that they should not “get comfortable”. Not only are both, as well as Paquette, very likely heading to the open market this summer, but Dzingel and Galchenyuk could be on the move again before the end of the season.

Dzingel specifically is somewhat of a suspect acquisition for the Senators. Previously a two-time 20-goal and 40-point player for Ottawa, Dzingel’s stops in Columbus and Carolina since departing the Senators have been less than inspiring. In his final season with the Senators, Dzingel was scoring at a 63-point full season pace; in his 96 games since, Dzingel is scoring at a 38-point pace. Perhaps Senators GM Pierre Dorion feels that a return to Ottawa and to a top-six role for Dzingel can reignite his offensive prowess. The team needs scoring and Dzingel could be the solution. However, if Dzingel continues to struggle or, alternatively, if he succeeds but is unwilling to re-sign in Ottawa, the rebuilding Senators have no use for his expiring contract. They would would very likely put him back on the trade block and hope that they could recoup the trade capital they might have received for renting out Paquette and Galchenyuk. Considering he must quarantine for two weeks before joining the Senators in this shortened NHL season, Dorion and company will not have much time to make a determination on Dzingel, but still felt the calculated risk was worth the potential long-term payoff.

  • As for Galchenyuk, Johnston’s premonition that he could be on the move again could prove true far sooner than he likely expected. With Galchenyuk being placed on waivers today by Carolina, it could be that by tomorrow afternoon he has a new team for the second time in 48 hours. Of course, Galchenyuk is no stranger to frequent movement. After six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens to begin his career, he is now on his sixth team in four year and has been traded in-season in back-to-back years. Once a rising star in Montreal, Galchenyuk has been reduced to a one-dimensional hired gun goal-scorer due to his defensive struggles and many inconsistencies. Galchenyuk still has value as a substitute in case of a top-nine injury, but has not proven over the last year that he is worthy of being handed an everyday role. As a result, it is no surprise that a cap-strapped team like the Hurricanes would rather move Galchenyuk to the taxi squad, thereby burying his entire $1.05MM salary, and simply use him as depth down the stretch. There may very well be a team out there however who also likes the 27-year-old forward for that role and has the roster flexibility to claim him and keep him active. Even if he does clear waivers, that would only improve his value due to the added transactional flexibility and if the Hurricanes don’t like what they see, they could still flip him before the deadline.
  • Galchenyuk’s placement on waivers has also changed the travel plans for Carolina’s latest acquisitions. Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported on Saturday that Paquette and Galchenyuk planned to skip the required quarantine that accompanies commercial air travel by instead joining the Senators on their team flight to Toronto today and then making the 13-hour drive to Raleigh, potentially even in time for the Hurricanes’ Monday night home game. The new plan, as revealed by Carolina beat writer Michael Smith, is for Paquette to make the solo trek from Ottawa to Raleigh today, a similar 13-hour drive, again with the expectation that he will be available on Monday. Galchenyuk meanwhile will remain in Ottawa until waivers clear tomorrow. Not only did he not want to make the long trip only to be claimed by a different team, but he also did not want to leave the country in case he was claimed by another Canadian club. If Galchenyuk clears waivers and is assigned to the taxi squad, he will presumably then make the drive to Raleigh himself and would be available for the ’Canes as early as Wednesday.

Penguins Notes: Crosby And Malkin, Pryor, Attendance

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Though it should come as no surprise, Pittsburgh Penguins ownership consulted their biggest stars before making the recent hires of Ron Hextall as GM and Brian Burke as President of Hockey Operations. The Athletic’s Rob Rossi writes that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were informed of the Hextall-Burke possibility and endorsed the move, according to sources close to the players. While owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle typically do not intrude on hockey operations matters, the once exception over the years has been an insistence on keeping Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh at all costs. This why the pair, despite being 33 and 34 years old respectively, were consulted on a front office move that could outlast either’s career. Ownership’s lone mandate to Hextall and Burke is that they would like Crosby and Malkin to retire as Penguins if they so choose. Crosby is already signed through 2024-25 and has never given the team any reason to want to move him. Malkin however has not been as consistent and will be a free agent after next season. He has previously expressed a desire to sign on for three more years in Pittsburgh at the conclusion of his current contract to line up with the expiration of Crosby’s deal, allowing the two iconic Penguins to potentially retire together. Whether this is the same expectation shared by Hextall and Burke remains to be seen, but it appears as though the duo have been asked by their new bosses to treat Crosby and Malkin differently than the rest of the roster.

Interestingly, that even includes defenseman Kris Letang. Rossi reports that previous GM Jim Rutherford had been told that any trade involving Letang would need to be approved by ownership. However, Hextall and Burke are not operating under the same mandate. Rutherford had allegedly been gauging the trade interest in Letang around the league prior to his resignation and Hextall and Burke may be similarly interested in moving the veteran defenseman, whose expensive contract expires after the 2021-22 season. While Lemieux is still believed to prefer extending Letang, it seems he would be okay with moving the career Penguin “the right way”.

  • Rossi also notes that, while no other front office moves were made alongside the additions of Hextall and Burke and the return of interim GM Patrick Allvin back to his role as Assistant GM, permission was given to make an addition to the staff. Hextall reportedly asked that he be allowed to hire his former assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers, Chris Pryor, before accepting the position with the Penguins. Pryor was fired alongside Hextall in Philadelphia and has since been working as an amateur scout for the Nashville Predators. It is unclear why Pryor has not yet joined the Penguins and if the Predators have anything to do with the hold up. However, the expectation is that Pryor will eventually become a second Assistant GM for Pittsburgh, resuming his role as Hextall’s draft guru. Rossi does not believe that any other changes to the front office are imminent until after Hextall and Burke handle the numerous major tasks ahead – in-season trades, entry draft, expansion, etc. – and have time to review the department.
  • The Penguins continue to play in an empty building, but they might have 4,500+ in attendance before too long. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune writes that the team has made requests to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as well as the Governor’s office to allow for PPG Paints Arena to open to fans at 25% capacity. He adds that quarter capacity for the venue is 4,596 spectators, a far cry from the current 500 players and personnel maximum currently allowed on game days. With COVID rates on the decline in the state and neighboring New York opening sports venues to 10% capacity, the Penguins’ request is not unrealistic. The team has already undertaken a number of health and safety measures at PPG in anticipation of crowds. The club certainly hopes that those with the power to allow Penguins fans back in the building will take all factors into account and grant their request.

Danny DeKeyser Waived By Detroit Red Wings

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In a stunning move, the Detroit Red Wings have placed defensive mainstay Danny DeKeyser on waivers. The career Red Wing still has one year remaining beyond this season on his current contract at a $5MM AAV, but Detroit appears ready to move on. Will that mean DeKeyser clears waivers and is assigned to the taxi squad or AHL? Or will another team swoop in and steal the defenseman?

DeKeyser, 30, is a polarizing figure in Detroit. On one hand, he’s second only to Darren Helm as the longest-tenured member of a team that has seen a mass amount of turnover in recent years that scrubbed nearly every reminder of their days as a Western Conference powerhouse. On the other hand, he has also been part of the problem as the club has devolved into a perennial bottom dweller in the Eastern Conference. DeKeyser impressed as an unheralded undrafted free agent out of nearby Western Michigan University, quickly claiming a top-four role for Detroit in his first few pro seasons. However, since signing his six-year, $30MM extension in 2016, DeKeyser has had – at most – one season where he has lived up to expectations. He has been plagued by injuries and when healthy has had diminishing offensive ability, has been prone to turnovers, and has simply struggled to help a team that needed him to be a savior on the back end.

Yet, with all that said, many question whether DeKeyser has himself been unfairly impacted by the lack of talent around him in Detroit. Are his struggles his own or is he still capable of being a well-rounded, minutes-eating, 30-point puck-mover? This season with the Red Wings has not helped to answer that question. The team has moved on from DeKeyser as a centerpiece on the blue line even before he hit waivers. The veteran has played in only 10 of 16 games and almost exclusively in a bottom-pair role, averaging just 15:30 of ice time with no special teams role. Claiming DeKeyser is a massive risk, especially in a flat cap era where being saddled with a $5MM salary this year and next for an unproductive player would be devastating. However, DeKeyser has his supporters around the league and it is hard to judge his true ability given his recent injury history and his position with Detroit. Don’t eliminate all possibility that someone might be willing to take a chance or that DeKeyser could still return to form if he moves elsewhere.

Also on waivers today are Montreal’s Paul Byron (link), Boston’s Par Lindholm (link), Columbus’ Gabriel Carlsson, and Carolina’s newly-acquired Alex Galchenyuk. Edmonton’s James Neal has cleared after being waived yesterday.

Montreal Canadiens Waive Paul Byron

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In a move that was foreseeable yet is still somewhat surprising, the Montreal Canadiens have placed veteran forward Paul Byron on waivers. The team explicitly stated that their intention is for Byron to clear waivers and be assigned to the taxi squad, but that is out of their hands for the next 24 hours. The veteran forward could be claimed by a team who sees the upside in him if given the proper role and adequate ice time.

Given Montreal’s tight salary cap squeeze and the role that Byron has played this season to the tune of $3.4MM AAV, it is no surprise that the club sought a change. Byron has been forced into a checking role for the Habs as a result of a busy off-season and the emergence of several young players. His ice time is down to just 12:36 per night, a new low since he became an NHL regular in 2013-14, and he has no goals and just three assists in 14 games. The Canadiens could not afford to have a substantial amount of cap space chewed up by such production.

However, there is a reason that Montreal has been actively trying to trade Byron and is hoping that he clears waivers: the 31-year-old still has value. A versatile and hard-working forward, Byron may have meager numbers so far this year and had his production limited by injury last season, but he still has plenty of scoring potential. Byron is just two years removed from a 2018-19 season in which he recorded 31 points in just 56 games, a 45-point full-season pace. Had he played 82 games, it almost certainly would have been his third straight season of 20+ goals and 35+ points. While health is a concern, Byron has shown to be an effective forward otherwise. As Byron is signed through 2022-23 at a healthy cap hit, any team looking to claim him is surely taking a risk. For this reason, combined with the hassle for U.S. teams of moving any player from Canada to south of the border this season, Byron may very well go unclaimed. However, if a club still believes that a healthy Byron has that same 40+ point upside, then he could be a value as an experienced top-nine forward, even over the next several years.

Also on waivers today are Detroit’s Danny DeKeyser (link), Boston’s Par Lindholm (link), Columbus’ Gabriel Carlsson, and Carolina’s newly-acquired Alex Galchenyuk. Edmonton’s James Neal has cleared after being waived yesterday.

Oilers’ James Neal Clears Waivers

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Sunday: As expected, Neal has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the Oilers’ taxi squad. His $5.75MM cap hit will be reduced to $4.675MM once the move is completed. Edmonton has waived a number of forwards this season who have made their way back to the active roster eventually, as will likely be the case for Neal.

Saturday: It hasn’t been a great season for James Neal and the news got a little tougher for him today as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been placed on waivers.

The 33-year-old has been a healthy scratch several times already this season and is off to a quiet start with just two goals and an assist in nine games.  Both goals came in the same game and he was out of the lineup for a week after that. With his lineup spot being far from guaranteed, there’s little risk in putting him on the waiver wire.

Neal has failed to live up to the five-year, $28.75MM contract he signed with Calgary back in 2018 and while he had a bit of a bounce-back 19-goal season with Edmonton last year after being acquired for another free agent mistake in Milan Lucic, he still hasn’t come close to being worth his $5.75MM price tag.  With two years left on his deal after this one, it’s a safe bet he will go through unclaimed.

With Edmonton deep into using LTIR, they’re not going to be in a position to free up some cap space by sending Neal to the taxi squad or to AHL Bakersfield.  Instead, what this move does is just give them a bit of extra roster flexibility to be able to shuffle veterans to and from the taxi squad with ease.  They’ve already gone this route with Devin Shore, Tyler Ennis, and Alex Chiasson this season and now Neal will join the group once he goes unclaimed on Sunday.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/14/21

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Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, especially if you love roster transactions. With the implementation of the taxi squad this season as yet another layer to the recall and reassignment game, there has been nearly four times as many roster transactions so far this season as compared to a normal campaign. Keep track here of what is sure to be a day filled with moves:

Central Division

East Division

  • Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov is finally off the COVID Protocol list, but he has not seen any game action in nearly a month. Rather than throw him right into the fire against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals have announced that Samsonov, still waiver-exempt, has been assigned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears to get some seasoning for the next several days. Vitek Vanecek, in line to make his tenth consecutive start, and veteran Craig Anderson will dress against the Penguins today.
  • The Penguins have their own issues in net, as the team announced that Maxime Lagace has been recalled from the taxi squad on an emergency basis and will back up Tristan Jarry today against the Capitals. There is no word on why Casey DeSmith is unavailable to dress.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled goaltender Joey Daccord from AHL Belleville and assigned him to the taxi squad, the club announced. They have additionally reassigned goalie Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad. The Senators have had to shuffle their netminders around with starter Matt Murray currently sidelined, but were fortunate to receive a strong performance from struggling backup Marcus Hogberg on Saturday. Both Daccord and Gustavsson on the taxi squad means that Murray may be ready to return to the active roster, but the team is prepared if he needs more time.
  • The 11-7 experiment appears to be over for now in Winnipeg. After suffering a loss to the Senators yesterday, the team has reassigned rookie defenseman Logan Stanley to the taxi squad and appear to be headed back to a standard lineup when they return to action.
  • The Calgary Flames have returned Connor Mackey to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 24-year-old played nearly 14 minutes yesterday in his NHL debut against Vancouver.
  • The Canadiens have sent Corey Perry and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Prospects Cam Hillis and Hayden Verbeek, who were up on the taxi squad to ensure the minimum size requirements were met, were returned to AHL Laval.
  • The Maple Leafs once again changed around their players at the end of their active roster.  CapFriendly reports that wingers Alexander Barabanov and Scott Sabourin were recalled from the taxi squad while center Travis Boyd and winger Nic Petan were sent to the taxi squad.

West Division

Snapshots: Tatar, Dumba, Devils, Murphy, Hamonic

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without Tomas Tatar Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who is a healthy scratch, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. The move made by head coach Claude Julien is believed to be a message sent to both Tatar and the team after Montreal has lost three of their last four games.

Tatar, despite having four goals and eight points in 14 games, has been adequate on the ice, but not as good as last season when he posted 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games. Engels believes that the message is meant just as much to the team as Tatar is one of the most popular players in the locker room.

The Philadelphia Flyers attempted a similar benching of leading scorer Travis Konecny on Jan. 30. Unfortunately, he has not scored a point since then.

  • Corey Masisak of The Athletic reports that a New Jersey Devils team spokesman said the team will be allowed to return to practice on Monday. That will be the first time the team has been allowed on the ice since the game at Buffalo on Jan. 31. The team is currently scheduled to play on Tuesday at the New York Rangers.
  • The Minnesota Wild got even more good news when they learned that defenseman Matt Dumba should be in the lineup on Tuesday when they begin playing once again after suffering what looked to be a severe ankle injury, according to Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan. Dumba got tangled up with teammate Jordan Greenway and suffered an awkward fall on Jan. 30, but the blueliner said that he’s feeling good and has no issues regarding the injury. The 26-year-old Dumba is looking solid this season, already with three goals in just nine games this season. Teammate Mats Zuccarello is also getting closer to a return. The veteran forward practiced Friday in a non-contact jersey.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have placed defenseman Connor Murphy on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 9, according to NHL.com’s Brandon Cain. The blueliner was suffered a right hip injury in that game and is expected to miss up to two weeks. Murphy has been playing well for Chicago with two goals and five points in 13 games, while averaging 22:45 of ATOI.
  • The Vancouver Canucks could be getting a boost back to their defense as head coach Travis Green reported that defenseman Travis Hamonic is close to returning to the team. The 30-year-old blueliner remains on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He has only appeared in five games with the Canucks this year with two assists, but could be a big addition if he returns soon.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Toronto Maple Leafs

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Current Cap Hit: $84,543,578 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alexander Barabanov (one year, $925K)
D Mikko Lehtonen (one year, $925K)
D Rasmus Sandin (two years, $894K)
F Nicholas Robertson (three years, $822K)

Potential Bonuses
None

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a history of bringing in European players in on entry-level contracts. Sometimes they work out and other times not. However, the team feels good about bringing in Lehtonen and Barbashev. The 27-year-old Lehtonen is coming off a dominant season in the KHL last season with Jokerit where he scored 17 goals and 49 points in his first season there. His offense could come in handy as he already has three points in just five games. The 26-year-od Barabanov has also proved to be a useful depth piece after five full seasons in the KHL. Both should provide good production for what they’re being paid.

The 20-year-old Sandin has worked his way up the depth chart and is knocking on the door of Toronto’s defense. Sandin did get into 28 games with the Maple Leafs last season and likely will get another opportunity at some point this season and should be an eventual full-time player for Toronto in the future. Robertson also has shown flashes of brilliance and despite his knee injury has a bright future ahead of him that could come at some point later this season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Frederik Andersen ($5MM, UFA)
F Zach Hyman ($2.25MM, UFA)
F Wayne Simmonds ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Zach Bogosian ($1MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($900K, UFA)
D Travis Dermott ($874K, RFA)
F Nic Petan ($775K, RFA)
F Joe Thornton ($700K, UFA)
F Jason Spezza ($700K, UFA)
F Travis Boyd ($700K, UFA)

The Maple Leafs will have an interesting decision to make in net during the offseason as Andersen’s contract will be up and the team has not indicated any willingness to discuss an extension at this point. In fact, the team had been looking to potentially move Andersen to upgrade in net instead last offseason with no luck. The 31-year-old who had been quite consistent over the years in Toronto, didn’t have as strong of a season, posting a .909 save percentage, significantly lower than his career number (.916). Of course the defense behind him wasn’t much better, which could explain that, but it will be interesting if the team brings Andersen back next year. Hyman could be another interesting decision for GM Kyle Dubas. The 28-year-old has posted two 20-goal seasons and is a favorite among players, but with serious salary cap implications it will deal with over the next few years, Hyman might be a luxury the team cannot afford.

One thing the Maple Leafs focused on in the offseason with improving the team’s depth and they did that, signing a bunch of players to one-year deals, including Simmonds, Thornton, Bogosian, Vesey. The team brought back Spezza as well for another year in hopes that they could improve the depth and experience level in their bottom six, although some of them like Simmonds and Thornton might get a crack at even bigger roles. Dermott will also require some tough negotiations as the RFA will want a raise next season.

Two Years Remaining

D Morgan Rielly ($5MM, UFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($1.65MM, UFA)
G Jack Campbell ($1.65MM, UFA)
F Pierre Engvall ($1.25MM, RFA)
F Adam Brooks ($725K, RFA)
G Michael Hutchinson ($725K, UFA)

The most interesting player is Rielly, who leads the team in ATOI with 23:47. He has been the team’s No. 1 defenseman for years and will be 28 years old when his contract runs out, which suggests the blueliner could be in line for quite a big raise at some point. Rielly should bounce back to his old offensive ways this year. He tallied 20 goals and 71 points in 2018-19, but injuries kept him to 47 games and just 27 points. A big season this year should begin to step up talks of signing him to an extension in as soon as a year.

Mikheyev is one of the success stories for general manager Kyle Dubas as the 26-year-old came over from the KHL and posted impressive numbers, scoring eight goals and 23 points in 39 games despite suffering a significant injury in the middle of the season. The forward is expected to play a bigger role for the Maple Leafs this year after signing a two-year extension and could be in line for an even bigger contract down the road if he can put his game together and maybe step into a top-six role at some point.

Campbell has fared quite well since being acquired by the Maple Leafs to be the team’s backup and should continue to do so for the next couple of years. However, the 29-year-old has only appeared in eight games since the trade, meaning the team hasn’t shown that much confidence in him. Regardless, he’s been solid in the limited time he’s played.

Three Years Remaining

F Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Justin Holl ($2MM, UFA)

The Maple Leafs brought in Kerfoot as part of the Nazem Kadri deal with Colorado and were hoping that the young center might take control of their third line and establish a dominant line. Three days after the trade, Toronto handed him a four-year, $14MM contract, but the 26-year-old struggled in his first season with the team. After scoring 34 goals in his first two seasons with Colorado, Kerfoot managed just nine goals and 28 points, career lows and struggled. The team has to hope that Kerfoot can find his way, considering the money the team spent on him and the constant cap problems.

Holl, on the other hand, has been a revelation to the team. He struggled to work his way into Toronto’s lineup in the past, but finally earned a regular role last season and has forced his way into the team’s top-four this year. Holl provides both the team with a well-rounded player who could be in line for a big contract down the road if he can continue to produce for the team. However, at $2MM per year, he is currently under a great contract.Read more

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