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Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Two years ago the Toronto Maple Leafs were at the very bottom of the NHL. After winning a lottery for the right to select Auston Matthews, and seeing a half-dozen other rookies make big impacts last season, the team is now locked into a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and looking to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Record

34-19-5, third in Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4.71MM full-season cap hit due to LTIR, 1/3 retained salary transactions, 50/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, SJS 2nd, SJS 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 7th, ANA 7th
2019: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th

Trade Chips

"<strongThe Maple Leafs have seen an incredible amount of young players make an impact in the last 18 months, and because of it there is a log jam of talent on the wing. The team has recently resorted to sticking Matt Martin in the press box as a healthy scratch, while Josh Leivo and Nikita Soshnikov can’t work their way into the lineup for various reasons. All three players are likely available for the right price, though Toronto has been known to demand high prices from inquiring teams in the past.

They also carry some of the more interesting rental names heading into the deadline, as James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, Dominic Moore and Roman Polak are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in the summer. While it seems like Toronto will try to hold on to most of this group to help in a playoff run this spring, there could be an opportunity to move one or two out depending on what’s available to bring in.

Their prospect pool, while weakened because of recent graduations, still has some very interesting names like Timothy Liljegren, Carl Grundstrom, Jeremy Bracco and Andreas Johnsson. If Toronto gets into any high profile bidding (which seems unlikely), you can be sure some of these names will be discussed.

There is also some NHL experience playing for them at the AHL level, with Martin Marincin and Calvin Pickard big parts of the dominant Toronto Marlies team. Marincin has had his chance with the Maple Leafs and blown it, Pickard has barely played for the team since being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier in the year. If any team feels they can turn one of them into a playoff performer, the pair of 25-year old second-round picks—or fellow AHL goaltender Garret Sparks—could be included in a potential deal.

Five Players To Watch For: F Josh Leivo, F Nikita Soshnikov, F Dominic Moore, G Calvin Pickard, D Martin Marincin

Team Needs

1) Defensive Depth: Travis Dermott has made an immediate impact on the Maple Leafs, and looks poised to stay in the lineup down the stretch and into the playoffs. While he’s locked down the left side on the third pair, the right side is still a rotating door. Connor Carrick and Roman Polak have each struggled at times, and could be supplanted if another option becomes available. The ability of Dermott, Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey to play their off-side makes it possible for the Maple Leafs to acquire whoever they want.

2) Fourth-Line Center: Similar to the acquisition of Brian Boyle last season, the Maple Leafs could still use an upgrade in their fourth-line center role. Though Moore has been effective the last few weeks, the team is still razor thin at the position and would likely have to move Patrick Marleau or William Nylander to the middle if faced with injury. That’s not an ideal situation, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Toronto add another body down the middle before February 26th.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Penguins, Flames Complete Minor League Trade

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The Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames have completed a minor league trade, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Colin Smith heading to Stockton in exchange for Joseph Cramarossa. Both players are on AHL contracts this season, though do come with some NHL experience.

Smith, 24, was selected in the seventh round by the Colorado Avalanche, and despite some huge totals in junior hockey has had trouble progressing through the minor league ranks. Though at times he’s shown an offensive capability in the AHL, he was given just a single NHL game in Colorado before bouncing around the last few seasons. The undersized forward has 18 points in 35 games for WBS this year.

Cramarossa, 25, comes with quite a bit more NHL experience. He suited up for 49 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, before being claimed off waivers by the Canucks and getting into another 10 games. A third-round pick in 2011, he’s known for his high-energy game and ability to engage physically.

Snapshots: Vancouver, Tallon, Fines

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The Vancouver Canucks extended their general manager Jim Benning today, rewarding the work he’s done to start a rebuild around a new core of young players. Speaking with media at the press conference (via Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130), Benning reiterated that he’s been working the phones to try and make his team better and will use free agency to “add players who will help support the young players.”

Heading into the trade deadline, the Canucks have a few expiring contracts to auction off in Thomas Vanek and Erik Gudbranson, while big decisions will still have to be made over the future of Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The twins are pending free agents and will turn 38 before next season, but could still be brought back to provide that support to Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and the rest of the young Vancouver players. “Picks and prospects are going to be like gold” says Benning when asked about the trade deadline, an exciting prospect for fans hoping for no quick fixes.

  • Speaking of GMs trying to fix a struggling franchise, Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers said on Sportsnet radio yesterday that he’ll only look for long-term benefits at the trade deadline and avoid “kneejerk reactions.” The Panthers have played better of late, but still find themselves well out of the race in the Atlantic Division. Though a wildcard spot is still definitely within reach, it doesn’t sound like Florida is willing to spend at the deadline to try and get over that hump.
  • The NHL handed out several fines today, issuing maximum penalties to Madison Bowey, Dustin Byfuglien and Deryk Engelland for separate incidents. The three players will face harsher penalties in the future, and draw a watchful eye from the Department of Player Safety.

Vancouver Canucks Announce Multi-Year Extension For GM Jim Benning

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The Vancouver Canucks have announced a multi-year extension—expected to be three seasons—for GM Jim Benning, keeping the executive in charge for the foreseeable future. In a release, Canucks’ President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden explained his confidence in Benning:

With Jim’s guidance and leadership we have put the building blocks in place for a bright future. We have strong internal alignment and I am excited to continue working towards our ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to Vancouver.

Benning has been at the helm for Vancouver since 2014, and has gone down several different paths the last few years. First trading away some established names like Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa, before making some questionable additions like Erik Gudbranson and Loui Eriksson. While his tenure has certainly not been accepted by all parts of the fan base, the start of a sort of rebuild over the last 12 months has Vancouver headed in the right direction.

Last trade deadline, the team dealt Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows for a pair of interesting prospects, and now they seem poised to have a similar sell-off. Thomas Vanek, Michael Del Zotto and others could be on their way out, as suggested by Linden in a letter to season ticket holders today, when he states that they will be adding some prospects and building towards the future over the next few months.

Moving forward, the next several months will be important as we add even more prospects to our pool and build on the positive steps we have seen this year. We still need to be patient, but I am excited about our journey ahead together. 

The Canucks have an exciting pair of young players in Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat, and a supporting cast of solid developing talent. For now, the plan will stay in place with the same man at the wheel, guiding Vancouver through the next part of their rebuild.

Los Angeles Kings Still Looking For Scoring Winger

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The Los Angeles Kings added a big name on their blue line last night, bringing in Dion Phaneuf from the Ottawa Senators for almost nothing but money. Now, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the team is still looking for a “mid-level scoring winger” to help them into the playoffs. The Kings sit out of the playoffs at the moment, but are just three points behind the San Jose Sharks for second in the Pacific Division.

There is no shortage of wingers on the market, from the expensive rentals like Evander Kane or Rick Nash, to the players with more term like Mike Hoffman and Max Pacioretty. Whether Los Angeles would ante up for any of the top names is unclear, but there are less expensive versions like Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner that could interest them as well. The Kings have had trouble scoring since Jeff Carter went down, but are still one of the tightest defensive groups in the league.

If the Kings do go after one of the top names, they have their full cupboard of draft picks available to offer. With interesting prospects like Gabe Vilardi and Kale Clague in the system, they might be able to afford selling a piece of their future for success this season. Still, with the playoff picture so undecided in the Western Conference, every team will have to be careful with how much they’re willing to spend.

Anaheim Ducks GM: “I’m Not Really Talking To Anybody”

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The Anaheim Ducks sit in fifth place in the Pacific Division, just a few points out of the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. They have a 32-year old #1 center likely headed to the Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done, and a roster populated with All-Star talents. Still, things aren’t going well.

Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) sat down with Ducks’ GM Bob Murray recently, for an incredibly candid interview on his team’s success so far this season. Murray believes that his team hasn’t shown enough to really be heavy buyers at the deadline, and explains that he’s just watching waiting for something to happen before he commits to any trades.

I’m still kind of waiting for them to show me something and they’re not. We’re very inconsistent. We’re very up and down. So far when it’s come to real, critical big games — we’ve basically [expletive] the bed in the big games. Right now I sit and watch. I’m not really talking to anybody, not really doing anything.

Murray goes on to explain his thought process for the Ducks, and how he feels about the rental market in most seasons. He also announces that even though Ryan Kesler is back playing, he likely won’t be 100% until next year, despite his best efforts.

The Ducks are an interesting team to watch over the next few weeks, as a good stretch could put them right back in the hunt for a high seed in the West. There are only four teams that have a five or more point lead on Anaheim, and three of them reside in the Central Division. Even though Murray says his team isn’t showing him anything, a short hot streak could put them in position for home ice advantage in the first round. A lasting cold streak could push them out of the race entirely.

Minor Transactions: 02/14/18

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We finally saw the first crack in the trade market last night, when Dion Phaneuf was sent to Los Angeles in a swap of bad contracts. Could that be the start of a fire sale in Ottawa, or did they just take advantage of a (perceived) opportunity? We’ll have to wait and see, but for now we’ll keep track of all the minor moves that go on around the rosters of the NHL.

  • In Ottawa the team has sent Max McCormick to the minor leagues, a move they’ve completed several times recently. This time though, it’s unclear if he’ll be on his way back up after the Senators added a couple forwards last night. McCormick has played in six games for the Senators this season, registering two points.
  • According to the AHL transactions page, the St. Louis Blues have returned Tage Thompson to the San Antonio Rampage. This comes after a minor injury that has kept him out of the lineup the last few games. Thompson has shown flashes of his potential as a big scoring winger, but hasn’t yet really put his stamp on the NHL as a full-time player. The Blues don’t play again until Friday, meaning they could recall Thompson in a few days.

Dion Phaneuf, Nate Thompson Dealt To Los Angeles For Marian Gaborik

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After much speculation, TSN’s Darren Dreger tweets that the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings have agreed to a deal that will send Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore from LA to Ottawa for Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson. The deal will also see Ottawa absorb 25% of Phaneuf’s cap hit. The trade call was confirmed by the league at 9:14 CST per a tweet from TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

McKenzie tweeted out earlier that “something appears to be done,” but players involved were still competing in their respective games. McKenzie tweeted even earlier that Phaneuf had been pulled from the lineup during the Ottawa-Pittsburgh contest so the trade could get done. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also confirmed the speculation, tweeting that the teams were working on a deal.

Phaneuf still has three years left on his 7-year, $49MM deal at the end of the season. With 25% of the deal eaten by the Senators, Ottawa will save $4MM tweets TSN’s Frank Seravalli. The Kings will see a cap hit of $5.25MM.

McKenzie was the first to report that a deal was being worked between LA and Ottawa. Dreger was the first to report the actual deal that involved Gaborik and Shore for Thompson and Phaneuf. 

Blackhawks Notes: Bowman, Crawford

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FanRag’s Craig Morgan takes aim at Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman as the reason for  Chicago’s dizzying descent this season. After a 6-1 loss to lowly Arizona last night, the Blackhawks are not only staring down their first playoff-less season since 2007-08, but a crack at their first losing season since 2006-07. Morgan writes that after six straight losses, the Hawks are 10 points behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot. While there are whispers that head coach Joel Quenneville is in trouble, it’s Bowman, Morgan believes, who should face the brunt of the firing squad.

There are rumors swirling that Quenneville’s job could be in jeopardy if the Hawks don’t snap out of this funk soon. The timeworn clichés of “he’s lost the team” and “he isn’t using players properly” are the dullest forms of the shallow analysis littering social media.

If you go one level deeper you’ll find the real problems.”

What isn’t a secret is that Chicago has struggled to replenish the pipeline with talent following drafts that haven’t produced the players necessary to keep the Hawks at a top level (Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat are exceptions to this). Some of this is due to picks being traded for Cup runs, which is understandable. But mining the later rounds for NHL talent to supplant what is lost at the pro level is the only way a team can stay afloat. Many players the Hawks were counting on, namely Ryan Hartman, have struggled after showing promise last season.

Worse for the Hawks, captain Jonathan Toews’ struggles continue and the move to get Brandon Saad, who is also struggling, was supposed to help Toews. The mismanagement of personnel, Morgan writes, has seen a flux of talent leave via trade, which is on Bowman. Though he’s been deft in walking the tightrope that is the cap, it seems that the luck may be running out.

All that remains to be seen is who pays for those struggles once the season is over.

  • NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz believes the Blackhawks have hit “rock bottom” as he reports that the 6-1 loss against Arizona may have buried a team so many thought were due to rebound. Gretz points to the goaltending conundrum, where the loss of Corey Crawford has certainly hurt the team between the pipes. Backup goalie Anton Forsberg was yanked after the third goal and Jeff Glass, despite his inspiring ascent to the NHL, hasn’t been the answer either. Even if Crawford would return, Gretz doesn’t see much of a chance for Chicago to make up the ground necessary to make the playoffs. The Sun-Times Mark Lazerus believes that even if he’s better, Crawford shouldn’t be rushed back in what he dubbed a “lost season.”

Deadline Primer: New York Rangers

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers still sit just a few points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but have made it clear to fans that they’re ready to build towards the future. Changes are coming, and they could extremely alter the composition of the team for the remainder of the season. Everyone seems available in New York, including most of the leadership group.

Record

27-24-5, eighth in Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$3.63MM full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 3rd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th
2019: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 3rd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th

Trade Chips

Ryan McDonaghThe Rangers are selling off everything that’s not tied down, and that starts first and foremost with Rick Nash and Michael Grabner. Both forwards are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, and should bring back a pretty penny for New York at the deadline. Nash is reportedly being pursued by the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars among others, while Grabner’s low cap hit could make him a target for virtually any playoff contender.

Beyond that, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller will all bring their fair number of interested parties, while Ryan McDonagh could be the best defenseman available in the next two weeks. The Rangers captain has one year left on his deal after this season, and can legitimately be pushed into a top pairing without issue.

Trading rentals is one thing, but there could be an appetite from the Rangers front office to wait on any potential McDonagh deal until the summer when almost all the teams in the league could show interest. If he isn’t traded in the next two weeks, he’ll be a player to keep an eye on in June as we head towards the draft.

Five Players To Watch For: F Rick Nash, F Michael Grabner, D Nick Holden, F David Desharnais, D Ryan McDonagh

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: For four straight years between 2013-2016, the Rangers table waited patiently while the first round of the NHL draft took place. In two of those years they didn’t make a pick until the third round, and it has shown in their prospect development. Last year, all that turned around when they kept their own pick and traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta for the seventh-overall selection. Now, they’ll look to select another few times in the first 60 picks if they can, and really kick-start the rebuild. All of the trades will likely include some kind of draft capital, as the Rangers aren’t looking for a quick flip to contention next season but a real rebuild.

2) Quickness: Second, the team has made it clear that they want to get fast. As the NHL moves further and further away from lumbering, physical players and towards smaller, skilled talents, the Rangers believe they can find success with a faster lineup. It’s not that they don’t already have some speed in their group, but mobility will be at the top of the list in any young talent acquired, both on offense and defense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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