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Maple Leafs Trade Tiers: How does Johnsson injury alter team’s plans? – Sportsnet.ca

Published

5 years ago

February 14, 2020

With the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline drawing near, Sportsnet is breaking down what each Canadian club has to work with as they head toward Feb. 24. We’ve sorted each roster into Trade Tiers to hash out who’s safe, who’s available, and who’s likely on the move.

Only 10 days separate where we sit now and the deadline marking the final chance for GMs around the NHL to bolster their clubs for the home stretch of the season and beyond.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have already pulled the trigger on one key trade, acquiring a much-needed boost to their goaltending tandem and some sandpaper for the forward corps. But with the club still in a somewhat precarious position when it comes to locking down their post-season spot, what other changes might be coming?

Key injuries up front and on the blue line complicate the situation for Kyle Dubas and Co., granting the team some extra cap space to work with but altering the value of the chips they have at their disposal.

That being said, let’s take a look at how the roster seems to shake out as the deadline approaches.

Not Going Anywhere

Auston Matthews
He’s the team’s leading scorer, he’s having the best season of his career, and he’s tied for the league’s goal-scoring lead. Much like the rest of the core, he’s a key part of the solution in Toronto.

Mitch Marner
He’s got the second most points of any Leaf and plays the most minutes of any forward on the team, given his special-teams use. That latter aspect, especially, makes him a vital piece of the team’s long-term core.

John Tavares
A slight down year for the captain still has him at nearly a point-per-game pace. He’s gone on a tear since the calendar flipped to February, and continued strong play down the stretch will be crucial to Toronto’s playoff hopes.

William Nylander
Perhaps the member of the core who’s most scrutinized, he’s putting together a career year that has him second on the team in goals, third in points, and first among all Leafs forwards in Corsi For percentage. It’s tough to argue they’re a better team if he’s removed from the equation to bolster other aspects of the roster.

Morgan Rielly
He was already a sure bet to stay given what he brings from the blue line and his overall importance to the organization, but an injury that’s kept him out since early January cements him as a no-doubter.

Frederik Andersen
For all of Toronto’s past issues with their No. 2, there’s been no question who the No. 1 is in the Leafs’ net. His numbers have left more to be desired as of late, but there’s lots of time for him to find his elite form before the post-season arrives.

Zach Hyman
He’s made himself nearly as indispensable to Toronto’s forward corps as the names above him on this list, providing an entirely different, and much-needed, element to the top six.

Rasmus Sandin
Eighteen games in the big leagues have already proven his worth as a key building block of the Leafs’ future. That’s too valuable to part with for an immediate fix.

Jack Campbell
Only just acquired, he fits a long-standing need in the cage, and should be in the picture past this season as well.

Kyle Clifford
See above. Clifford’s only just arrived, and will be in the mix to bolster the team’s overall grit level down the stretch.

Jason Spezza
The fit has worked well since Sheldon Keefe came aboard, he brings plenty of skill and veteran savvy for his very affordable price tag ($700,000), and he appears to want to remain in Toronto.

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(Likely) Not Going Anywhere

Travis Dermott
He’s just as important a part of the future of Toronto’s blue line, and is very likely staying put. But is he truly untouchable? Should the Leafs for whatever reason decide to swing more towards a blockbuster deal, it’s at least conceivable that Dermott could be involved.

Jake Muzzin
He’s a much-needed presence on the Leafs’ back end, particularly right now given their injury situation. But he’s also a pending UFA, which complicates things slightly. The team certainly doesn’t get better if Muzzin is moved though, and there’s still a chance he winds up being a long-term option for the Leafs.

Ilya Mikheyev
He was in the midst of a great rookie campaign (23 points through 39 games) before an injury pushed him out of the lineup. Between what he showed for the Leafs and the fact that he hasn’t played since late December, it’s tough to see him winding up in a deal, but it’s also difficult to say he’s truly untouchable.

Pierre Engvall
The same goes for Pierre Engvall. A strong showing so far has earned him a two-year, $2.5-million extension. The club has no reason to part with him. But given Toronto’s absurd forward depth, if a bigger deal is on the table, it’s not inconceivable that he could wind up involved.

Justin Holl
He’s affordable, signed long term, and one of the club’s few right-handed defenders on the back end. They benefit more from keeping him in the fold, but if a deal is made to land a bigger blue-line name, he’s a potential piece to go the other way.

Martin Marincin
The veteran won’t move the needle for most teams, and is a fairly solid option for the Leafs right now as they navigate their injury issues.

Andreas Johnsson
Up until Thursday, Johnsson was perhaps Dubas’s best trade chip, or at the very least one of them. A knee injury suffered against Dallas shakes things up considerably, and according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, he’ll be sidelined for at least eight weeks.

Lead Off with Ashley, Ziggy and Scotty Mac

How will Johnsson knee injury affect Dubas’ deadline philosophy?

February 14 2020

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Probably Safe, But It’s Possible

Tyson Barrie
Despite his tumultuous campaign, the Leafs need him given their previously mentioned injury issues. That he doesn’t cost much against the cap and brings at least the potential for top-end skill is a plus, too. But like Muzzin, he’s a pending UFA, which means he’s a part of the potential conversation.

Timothy Liljegren
He’s a promising talent on the back end and while still young, hasn’t risen through the ranks as quickly as current big-league partner Sandin. He probably remains a part of the solution, but again, if a bigger blockbuster is on the table, he’s a piece other teams would covet.

Frederik Gauthier
A solid, big-bodied depth pivot who fills his role well in Toronto and will likely continue to do so. But if teams want size and feel Gauthier has more to give in a slightly bigger role, the Goat could conceivably wind up as part of a bigger package.

Could Be On The Move

Dmytro Timashov
Dubas’s position of strength to deal from is clearly his forward corps, with blue-line depth still a key need heading into the home stretch. With Johnsson’s injury seemingly taking him off the table, Timashov might enter the picture as an alternate option if teams feel he could do well in a greater role elsewhere.

Cody Ceci
The fit has certainly been questionable at times, and he’s a pending UFA after this season, like Muzzin and Barrie. His cap hit could seemingly be better used elsewhere. However, an injury and trip to the LTIR complicates any potential move involving the blue-liner.

Find the rest of our NHL Trade Tiers lists here: CGY | EDM | OTT | WPG | VAN | MTL

More Likely To Move

Kasperi Kapanen
Johnsson’s injury seems to throw a wrench into things as it not only takes him out of the mix as a trade chip, but also increases the team’s reliance on Kapanen. That said, if Dubas and Co. feel they need to bring in something of value for the stretch run, Kapanen remains their most valuable piece to potentially move without significantly upsetting what they currently have going.

Alexander Kerfoot
Kerfoot is in much the same boat as Kapanen in terms of his value as a trade option but also as a replacement for the injured Johnsson. However, if the team decides it now needs to hang onto Kapanen as a key secondary scorer, Kerfoot seems the next option up to potentially move.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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