- The NHL has levied a pair of fines on the Maple Leafs. First, the team was fined $100K for a CBA travel violation as they traveled to St. Louis late on December 26th. While it was a late-night flight, the rule states that teams cannot travel or have any activities until the 27th. The second fine was issued to head coach Sheldon Keefe for demeaning conduct directed at the officials during last night’s game against St. Louis. He’ll be $25K lighter in the wallet as a result.
- Still with the Maple Leafs, they are expected to have their top blueliner back in the lineup tomorrow as Keefe told reporters including Sports Illustrated’s David Alter that Morgan Rielly should suit up Thursday against Arizona. The 28-year-old suffered a knee injury a little over a month ago and was placed on LTIR. Toronto will need to get cap-compliant in order to activate him but a pair of LTIR placements yesterday and an eventual return of Mac Hollowell to the minors will be enough to allow them to activate Rielly.
Maple Leafs Rumors
Maple Leafs Move Nick Robertson And Victor Mete To LTIR
The Maple Leafs have been using long-term injured reserve all season long and they’ve now added to that group as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve transferred winger Nick Robertson and defenseman Victor Mete onto LTIR. They join defensemen Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin as players on there.
Robertson has been out for the last three weeks with a shoulder injury and he’s expected to be out at least three more. Toronto would have back-dated his placement to the original injury (December 8th) so he has almost already served the ten games and 24 days required. Robertson has two goals and three assists in 15 games with the Maple Leafs so far this season.
As for Mete, he has missed the last three weeks with a lower-body injury so he also isn’t that far off from being eligible to return. The 24-year-old has played in 11 games so far with the big club, picking up two assists while logging a little more than 13 minutes per night.
The placements add just shy of $1.6MM to Toronto’s LTIR pool and per CapFriendly, they currently have about $7.85MM of that available. However, Rielly accompanied the team on their three-game road trip and is believed to be nearing a return. These placements will make it easier for the Maple Leafs to activate their top blueliner once he’s ready to return.
Mac Hollowell Recalled On Emergency Basis
- The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. It’s the fourth emergency recall for the 24-year-old in less than two weeks as the team hedges their bets with some of their injured blueliners. Toronto had an open roster spot so no other move needed to be made to bring up Hollowell, who has two assists in six NHL games so far this season.
Kyle Clifford Suffers Potential Injury In AHL Fight
- Toronto Maple Leafs veteran enforcer Kyle Clifford, currently on AHL assignment with the Toronto Marlies, sustained a potential injury in today’s win over the Belleville Senators. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby notes Clifford left the rink with his hand in a wrap, saying he likely suffered a dislocation in a fight during the game. Clifford has made two appearances with the Maple Leafs this season.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Toronto Maple Leafs
As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Who are the Maple Leafs thankful for?
As special as Marner’s 23-game point streak was for both player and team, it represented something just as important to Toronto’s season: consistency. As other players went hot and cold or went down with injury, Marner continued to produce night in and night out.
The winger has arguably been the team’s MVP thus far, even with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares all having fantastic season thus far. Marner’s 40 points are good enough to lead the team, just one ahead of Matthews and Nylander. Not only is Marner playing a key role in the team’s superb offensive output, but he’s one of not only the team’s, but the league’s best two-way forwards, playing a key role on the penalty kill and late in games.
Perhaps the most interesting statistic that shows just how vital of a role Marner plays is time-on-ice. Marner, a right wing, is second on the team in average time-on-ice, behind only Morgan Rielly, who’s currently injured. The next closest forward on the list is Matthews, who’s 20:19 average time-on-ice is over a full minute less than Marner at 21:23.
Sure, Brendan Shanahan, Kyle Dubas, and the front office built this team and Sheldon Keefe coaches it. Tavares is the captain and locker room leader while still being one of the team’s superstars. Nylander is enjoying a career year and the possibility of a 50 goal season. And yes, Matthews scores goals at a historic rate, but this year it’s been the consistent, steady play of Marner that Toronto is most thankful for. In a season of some ups and more than a few downs, the Maple Leafs may just be having their best campaign under this group, and now it seems to be Marner leading them all.
What are the Maple Leafs thankful for?
Depth, depth, and more depth.
It’s Christmas Day, the Maple Leafs have played 34 games and thus far, they’ve dressed a whopping 12 defensemen in games this season. That’s enough for their opening night lineup, plus an entire second unit too. Now, add to that their goaltenders. The team has only had three goaltenders play in games for them this season, not unusual, but all three have played in double-digit games.
With all of these injuries added onto a slow start, nobody would blame the Maple Leafs for being on the fringes of the playoff picture. But instead, Toronto sits comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division, behind only the Boston Bruins, who are enjoying what can only be described as a historic start to their season. So, what’s going right?
The depth the Maple Leafs have put forward this season has been, in a word, impeccable. When both halves of the intended goaltending duo of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov went down with injury earlier this year, The Maple Leafs rested their hopes on Erik Kallgren to carry the load in net. Kallgren’s numbers this season aren’t going to win him the Vezina Trophy, but his .898 save-percentage and 2.67 goals-against average have been enough to keep the team in games, arguably their most important ones of the season. Notably, Kallgren was forced into the full-time starter’s role for a brief period, just as the team was fighting to regain itself as a winner, recently losing four straight on their west coast road trip.
On the blueline, only Justin Holl and Mark Giordano have played in every game this season, Rasmus Sandin closely behind with 33, but after those three, the next closest is Timothy Liljegren at 23. The three who were expected to make up the most important Leafs defensemen, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie, have all missed fairly significant time, Muzzin unlikely to return this season. Mac Hollowell and Filip Kral have been solid when called upon, and Jordie Benn’s presence as a veteran shutdown defenseman has been impactful.
Amid the rapid loss of defensemen, Toronto was forced to make a trade and acquired Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes. Always highly-regarded, but just as frequently injured, Timmins has struggled to become an NHL regular for that reason. Since making his Maple Leafs debut earlier this month, Timmins has flourished, recording six assists in eight games, chipping in strong defense.
Of course, the organization will want to have it’s key pieces healthy and performing as expected, but in their absence, the next man up has been more than ready for action this season in Toronto and the ultimate success of this team will have to give large credit to this group of players.
What would the Maple Leafs be even more thankful for?
Health
We’ve just discussed the impact that Toronto’s depth additions have had on the team, such as Kallgren and Timmins and though the organization is happy to have them there, and perhaps give them a bigger role going forward, having their marquee players healthy and in the lineup would be just that much better.
The biggest injury in nature appears to go to Muzzin, who is likely done for the season. There, the health of the person is of primary importance and at this point, the Maple Leafs will likely consider how they can replace him, at least for the remainder of this season, with his $5.625MM cap hit on LTIR.
In terms of players who can come back, Rielly has been out since November 21st and while a return doesn’t appear to be imminent, there is hope the star defenseman will be back relatively shortly. Injured recently, Sandin and his status beyond being placed on IR is unknown, but having the young defenseman return would still change the dynamic of the blueline. Beyond them, returning defenseman Victor Mete and forward Nicholas Robertson to the lineup, when possible, would simply continue to add to the overall depth the team has available.
A healthy team isn’t just the players on IR returning to the lineup, but also consists of keeping the rest of the team healthy. As strong and as plentiful as the depth has been this year, it’s not endless. Furthermore, Toronto has been lucky that, with the exception of Reilly, injuries largely haven’t affected their elite players. Even losing just one of their big four of forwards for a long stretch could have a devastating effect on the season going forward.
What should be on the Maple Leafs’ holiday wishlist?
A secondary scorer
With Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares, complimented by Michael Bunting and Alexander Kerfoot, it would seem counter-intuitive to add another offensive-minded forward to the mix here, especially with injuries to the defensemen. To address the defense first, Rielly should hopefully return soon and the team will cross its fingers for a positive update on Sandin, but having both back solves many issues. Replacing Muzzin would make sense, but given the play of Benn and Timmins, it might not be necessary, at least not right now.
Up front, losing any of the big four would be drastic and though none of the four would be considered injury prone, nothing is guaranteed. Also consider the saturation of their production, the group primarily placed in the top-six and the first powerplay unit. If something goes wrong on the injury or production front, the rest of the team will have to step up and as talented as that group is, they aren’t so adept at getting the puck past the goaltender.
Toronto doesn’t necessarily need to go out and grab Patrick Kane at this year’s deadline, but a solid third-line option could do the trick, and at a relatively affordable price too. Sticking with Chicago, both Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou are UFA’s at season’s end and both have a history of offensive production. Alternatively, a reunion with former Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk could be in the books, assuming the Flyers are willing to retain salary, which they appear to be.
If Toronto does prefer to add defense, or needs two for the price of one so to speak, perhaps adding a dynamic offensive defenseman, like Shayne Gostisbehere from the Arizona Coyotes could be in the works. With 24 points this season in 32 games, Gostisbehere would give the team the offensive boost it needs while also serving as additional defensive depth and filling the void created by Muzzin’s injury.
No Extension Talks Yet For Michael Bunting
The Maple Leafs have yet to engage in contract extension talks for pending UFA winger Michael Bunting, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports in his latest Toronto Star column. The 27-year-old isn’t producing at quite the level he was last season but still has 24 points in 34 games this season, making him quite a bargain as he carries just a $950K AAV. It stands to reason that he could pass the $4MM mark on the open market in the summer and while that might be more than Toronto can afford, it’s a price tag they’re going to have to know about heading into the trade deadline so they’ll know if they’ll have a chance of being able to keep him beyond this season. Otherwise, their plans on deadline day could change accordingly.
Rasmus Sandin Placed On Injured Reserve
After suffering a neck injury in the Toronto Maple Leafs last game, Rasmus Sandin has been moved to injured reserve. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained yesterday that the team would be re-evaluating him after the Christmas break, meaning a stint on IR doesn’t necessarily mean he will be out long-term. Sandin must miss at least seven days but the Maple Leafs don’t play again until December 27 after today’s afternoon match with the Philadelphia Flyers.
In his place, the team has recalled Mac Hollowell from the minor leagues. The 24-year-old Hollowell played six games with the team earlier this season when they were dealing with a number of injuries on defense, and has been excellent in the minor leagues with 10 points in 13 games for the Toronto Marlies.
Unfortunately for Hollowell, the team also recently activated Jordie Benn, who will slide into Sandin’s spot in the lineup today. The club is still without Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Victor Mete, and Carl Dahlstrom, but has still shown a strong defensive ability. Toronto sits second in goals against on the year, having allowed just 79 in 33 games.
Part of that success has been the strong play of Sandin, who has regularly gone over 20 minutes of ice time in the absence of Rielly. The 22-year-old was selected 29th overall in 2018 and has played 121 regular season games so far in his career.
Colorado Avalanche Acquire Denis Malgin
The Colorado Avalanche, still looking for some scoring depth, have acquired Denis Malgin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Dryden Hunt. The move is the second time Hunt has switched teams this season after being claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers in October.
Malgin, 25, returned to North America this season after spending the last two years in Switzerland, where he dominated the National League for both Lausanne and Zurich. In 2021-22 he scored 21 goals and 52 points in 48 regular season games, then put up 18 points in 17 postseason matches. It appeared as though he might get an extended opportunity next to John Tavares and Mitch Marner with Toronto, but after scoring just four points in 23 games so far, the team has moved on.
Colorado has recalled Martin Kaut today, likely as Malgin sorts out travel plans to join the club.
Hunt, meanwhile, is a more traditional bottom-six forward and has just two goals in 28 games split between Colorado and New York. Though he’s not a huge player, he does bring a lot more physicality than Malgin, and can potentially give Toronto an extra fourth-line option to work with.
Notably, Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok was spotted at practice today in a regular sweater. His return from injury would have likely pushed Malgin down, if not entirely out of the lineup, and likely means there won’t be an immediate spot for Hunt. That could mean Hunt will end up on waivers again at some point, though the Maple Leafs do have an extra roster spot right now for Jarnkrok’s activation.
A swap of playstyle from two underperforming depth forwards, this may end up not meaning much for either organization. It certainly will, however, cause some more painful memories for Maple Leafs fans who watched the team trade Mason Marchment for Malgin in 2020. While Marchment has established himself as a force in the league, Malgin provided the Maple Leafs with four points in 31 total games.
Maple Leafs Recall Mac Hollowell On Emergency Basis
The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from Toronto of the AHL on an emergency basis. They had an open roster spot to work with so no corresponding move needed to be made.
Hollowell got into six games with the big club on his last recall, his first taste of NHL action. The 24-year-old acquitted himself relatively well, picking up a pair of assists in those contests while averaging just shy of 13 minutes a night of playing time. While he hasn’t scored with the Marlies so far, he has collected 10 assists in a dozen contests with them, one of which came last night in Rockford.
Timothy Liljegren was injured in Thursday’s game but was a full participant in practice on the second pairing while head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated after practice to Sports Illustrated’s David Alter (Twitter link) that Liljegren isn’t the only blueliner that’s banged up which is what necessitated Hollowell’s recall. For the time being, Toronto now has eight blueliners on their active roster and all of them were present at the morning skate.
Snapshots: Norris, Season Expansion, Joyce
When news of Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris’ shoulder injury first broke, it was speculated as a potentially season-ending ailment. The timeline was eventually narrowed down to a three-to-five-month period, and in early November, it became clear that Norris would not need to have surgery on his shoulder. Now, it seems there is even more good news regarding Norris’ injury situation. At Senators practice today, Norris took off his non-contact jersey and donned a regular practice jersey.
That’s an important development, as it indicates that Norris could be nearing a return to the ice sooner than anyone may have anticipated. While the Senators remain in last place in the Atlantic Division, they are currently on a three-game winning streak and have a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games. Being able to add Norris back to their group of centers would give them a trio of Norris, Tim Stutzle, and Shane Pinto, an enviable group of young pivots. Norris scored 35 goals and 55 points last season, and while his slow start to this season as well as his shoulder injury makes it somewhat likely that he’ll need time to get back up to full speed, his return to the ice would undoubtedly be a major help to the Senators’ push to get back into the playoff picture.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the NHL “has discussed expanding its regular season from 82 to 84 games in an effort to create more regional rivalry matchups.” With the league still recovering from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been renewed focus on advancing the league’s revenue goals. Wyshynski does note that “the topic wasn’t mentioned at this week’s board of governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, but is expected to be discussed at the general managers’ meeting in March 2023,” meaning the change is still a bit of a way away from being officially agreed upon and implemented.
- NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston has reported that executive Eric Joyce is no longer a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Joyce joined the Maple Leafs in the fall of 2020 and had most recently served as the director of hockey strategy and pro scouting. It is unclear at this current moment if the Maple Leafs have chosen to leave those roles unfilled, delegated Joyce’s responsibilities to others, or otherwise re-assigned Joyce’s vacated titles and responsibilities.