- More tough news for the Toronto Maple Leafs in net as goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who started tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins, was forced to leave after the second period. The Maple Leafs confirmed their goaltender would not return while dealing with a knee injury. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who discussed the injury with reporters, including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadien Press, was suffered during Brad Marchand’s penalty shot. The extent of the injury or any time he could miss is not yet clear, however Toronto is already working around the loss of Matt Murray in net, who is on LTIR with an abductor injury. Murray was scheduled to miss four weeks with that injury and is currently through three, however a scheduled return is not yet known. Erik Kallgren, who has been acting as the Maple Leafs backup goaltender, is certainly a capable NHL netminder, however the only other goaltender Toronto has under contract is Dennis Hildeby, a 2022 draft pick currently on loan in his native Sweden. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs had been pressed against the 50 contract limit–until today. With forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel lost on waivers to the Washington Capitals this afternoon, Toronto now has just 49 of 50 contracts in their system, enough to add one more player. Should they need to do so, they’ll have to act quick and be creative, with puck drop in Carolina scheduled for 5:00 pm ET tomorrow afternoon.
Maple Leafs Rumors
Capitals Claim Nicolas Aube-Kubel Off Waivers From Maple Leafs
With Connor Brown done for the season due to ACL surgery, the Capitals have his $3.6MM cap hit to work with for LTIR space. They used a chunk of that today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Washington has claimed winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from Toronto.
It’s the second straight season that the 26-year-old has been plucked off the waiver wire in November as a year ago, Colorado scooped him up from Philadelphia. He went on to have a strong finish to his season with 11 goals and 11 assists in 67 games with the Avs while suiting up 14 times in their Stanley Cup run, leading to him signing a one-year, $1MM contract with the Maple Leafs on the opening day of free agency last summer.
However, things didn’t go particularly well for Aube-Kubel with Toronto as he was a healthy scratch in five of their first 11 games this season while he was held off the scoresheet in six games while logging just over nine minutes per game and with a need for some roster flexibility, they decided that Aube-Kubel was the one to part with. Notably, on top of the cap savings and roster spot being opened, this also frees up a contract slot for Toronto who was at the maximum of 50 prior to this claim.
Meanwhile, for Washington, it’s a low-risk move to bring in a bottom-six forward with some NHL experience as Aube-Kubel has 175 career NHL appearances under his belt which will give Peter Laviolette another option as he looks to find the right combination on the fourth line. With the Caps having a full roster, they’ve assigned Garrett Pilon to AHL Hershey to open up a spot on their 23-man roster. Pilon has five points in seven games with the Bears so far this season.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel Placed On Waivers
Just a few months after hoisting (and dropping) the Stanley Cup, Nicolas Aube-Kubel finds himself on waivers. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed the depth forward on waivers, and earlier today he was skating as an extra defenseman in practice. The Maple Leafs recalled Wayne Simmonds earlier today and still needed a spot to activate Timothy Liljegren, who is expected to make his season debut tomorrow night.
Aube-Kubel, 26, was signed to a one-year, $1MM contract this summer by the Maple Leafs and was expected to play a full-time role in the bottom six. After six scoreless games, it appears as though the team is ready to move on.
Should he clear he can be assigned to the AHL but there is at least a good chance that someone decides to take Aube-Kubel after his strong performance last year. In 67 regular season games with the Colorado Avalanche (after a waiver claim), he scored 11 goals and 22 points. He then suited up for 14 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship.
He did fail to score a point in those 14 postseason contests, which could have been a bit of foreshadowing for this season. In those six games with Toronto, he generated just two shots on goal but did record 21 hits. His limited minutes included almost no offensive starts, leading to brutal possession numbers.
It’s been a few years since Aube-Kubel played regularly in the AHL but that’s likely where he’s headed should he clear waivers tomorrow. The entire $1MM cap hit would come off the books for the Maple Leafs, giving them a little more flexibility than sending down Simmonds or a younger player like Pontus Holmberg.
Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets tweets that Toronto made Aube-Kubel available for trade this week. Waivers don’t necessarily mean those negotiations have ended. Sometimes a player clearing can actually improve his value, as the acquiring team can then stash him in the minor leagues. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s what happens here.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Wayne Simmonds
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made another roster change, recalling Wayne Simmonds from the minor leagues and assigning Filip Kral back to the AHL. The move comes in advance of Timothy Liljegren’s expected return tomorrow night.
It also follows an incident against the Philadelphia Flyers where Auston Matthews was involved in a scrum. When Travis Konecny tried to fight the Maple Leafs superstar, Michael Bunting and (especially) Mark Giordano stepped in to defend him. Simmonds, of course, is known more for his physicality than his offensive prowess at this point in his career, and could be inserted back into the lineup to give Toronto a little more bite.
Kral, 23, made his NHL debut and appeared in two games during his recall, averaging just under ten minutes of ice time. The fifth-round pick might be a decent depth piece for the team but it is obvious that head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t trust him to play a regular shift, meaning Liljegren’s return will be a welcome sight for Maple Leafs fans.
Maple Leafs Notes: Liljegren, Muzzin, Moldenhauer
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tailspin with four losses in a row, but at least they are getting a reinforcement. Timothy Liljegren, who was expected to take another step in terms of responsibility and ice time this season, will re-enter the lineup on Saturday, according to Luke Fox of Sportsnet.
Now 23, Liljegren was the 17th overall pick in 2017 and has played just 74 games in the NHL to this point. He showed flashes of top-four potential last season, with 23 points in 61 games, but was injured in training camp and placed on long-term injured reserve.
- One of the reasons why Liljegren is so necessary is the injury to Jake Muzzin, which wasn’t updated by head coach Sheldon Keefe today. As Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports, Muzzin is awaiting some test results from a neck specialist. The 33-year-old Muzzin has dealt with several head, neck, and back injuries over the last few seasons, so the team will go slow with his recovery.
- Maple Leafs prospect Nick Moldenhauer has committed to the University of Michigan for next season, where he’ll continue his development after his USHL career comes to an end. The 2022 third-round pick has ten goals in his first 11 games for the Chicago Steel this season.
Matt Murray Returns To Practice
- Goalie Matt Murray is back on the ice today for the Toronto Maple Leafs after suffering an adductor injury roughly two and a half weeks ago. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said that Murray’s return to practice was “part of the plan” and that his recovery is on schedule. Murray was originally given a timeline of four weeks when the injury occurred, pointing to a mid-November return. Despite the Leafs’ poor record, projected backup netminder Ilya Samsonov has a .919 save percentage in five appearances during Murray’s absence and has been the least of the team’s worries.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Pontus Holmberg
Looking for a change, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Pontus Holmberg from the AHL. To make room, Wayne Simmonds has been sent back to the Toronto Marlies. Simmonds cleared waivers at the beginning of the season, so can be assigned freely for the time being.
Holmberg, 23, has turned into an interesting prospect for the Maple Leafs. A sixth-round pick in 2018, he developed into a star player in Sweden, winning a league championship and being named playoff MVP. He followed up the impressive postseason performance with a 41-point season, and even got a taste of North American hockey with a six-game look with the Toronto Marlies last spring.
Still, despite all that success, it’s hard to imagine Holmberg really being the key to unlocking the Maple Leafs this season. At best he is probably an upgrade in the bottom six, capable of playing center or wing. But with just two assists in seven games with the Marlies this season, the offensive upside of a player like Holmberg is limited.
With Toronto struggling to score at even-strength (and in general), they’ll need their stars to play better – not just the bottom-six.
Max Domi Approached Toronto About A Cheaper Contract This Past Summer
- While Max Domi joined the Blackhawks early in free agency on a one-year deal, it appears as if that wasn’t his original preference. In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that Domi’s camp had approached the Maple Leafs to gauge their interest in a one-year deal at a significantly lower price than the $3MM he received from Chicago. Obviously, Toronto opted to go in a different direction, adding Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the opening day of free agency and Calle Jarnkrok two days later as forwards signing for more than the minimum.
Liljegren, Benn Start AHL Conditioning Stints
- While the focus for the Toronto Maple Leafs the last couple of days has been on the health of Jake Muzzin, who was placed on long-term injured reserve, two other defensemen are getting closer to a return. Timothy Liljegren and Jordie Benn were both loaned to the Toronto Marlies on conditioning stints. Mikhail Abramov who started the year on season-opening injured reserve was also assigned to the AHL club.
Toronto Maple Leafs Move Muzzin To LTIR; Clifford To IR
October 26: Muzzin has now been placed on LTIR retroactive to October 18, according to CapFriendly. The soonest Muzzin would be eligible to return to the Leafs’ lineup is now November 11, meaning they’ll be without him for at least the next two weeks. Kyle Clifford has also been moved to regular injured reserve, with Filip Kral recalled, filling his roster spot.
October 19: After their minor league club signed Danny DeKeyser to a PTO earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have brought up another AHL defenseman to the active roster. Filip Kral has been recalled, as the team moves Jake Muzzin to injured reserve. Muzzin is out with a neck injury that will keep him out indefinitely.
Kral, meanwhile, could be looking at his first NHL game should he get into the lineup. The 22-year-old defenseman was a fifth-round pick of the team in 2018 and has developed nicely over the years, to the point of being one of the final cuts this fall. The 6’2″ Czech-born defender played three seasons in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, before returning home to play another year overseas.
Last season, he posted 21 points in 58 games during his first full season with the Toronto Marlies, and now he’s an NHL call-up just a week into the schedule. As David Alter of Sports Illustrated notes, Jordie Benn and Timothy Liljegren are both joining the Maple Leafs’ practice today, though neither can be removed from LTIR until November 5.
That means a little bit of runway for Kral, though it seems likely that Victor Mete will get the first crack with the main group tomorrow night.