Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Alex Galchenyuk in exchange for Egor Korshkov, David Warsofsky - Maple Leafs Hot Stove | Canada News Media
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Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Alex Galchenyuk in exchange for Egor Korshkov, David Warsofsky – Maple Leafs Hot Stove

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired left-wing depth in the form of Alex Galchenyuk in a Family Day trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Heading to Carolina is Russian prospect Egor Korshkov, who appeared in one NHL game for the Leafs in 2019-20 and scored in that game, as well as AHL veteran defenseman David Warsofsky.

While Warsofsky’s inclusion is a case of off-loading a Standard Player Contract, the cost of Korshkov is not something to entirely write off as a nothing piece in the deal; he was a unique prospect in the system with his size (6’4), and he flashed some offensive ability with the Marlies (16 goals in 44 games) and in his one appearance with the Leafs (as well as some promising camp performances). He’s also tallied 16 goals in 53 games this season in the KHL. While the situation with Covid and Korshkov spending the year in Europe meant he didn’t appear in camp this year, Korshkov looked like he could have a future with an NHL team and bring a hard-to-play-against element to a team’s fourth line if he does indeed come back overseas.

Worth noting here is that Galchenyuk cleared waivers today, meaning he can be shuffled back and forth to the taxi squad for the next 30 days without being exposed to the other 30 NHL clubs. He carried more value having cleared waivers already than he would’ve previously. He also is not bound to 14-day quarantine restrictions as he was last a part of the Senators organization before he was included in yesterday’s trade that sent Cedric Paquette to Carolina in exchange for Ryan Dzingel (Galchenyuk never crossed the Canada-U.S. border).

Toronto is the sixth stop for Galchenyuk since the former third overall pick in 2012 left Montreal for Arizona in 2017-18 as part of the Max Domi trade. He headed to Pittsburgh as part of the Phil Kessel trade the next season before spending time in Minnesota, Ottawa, and technically belonging to the Canes organization for 24 hours.

A 30-goal scorer in 2015-16 and a two-time 19-goal scorer (in his final season in Montreal and lone season in Arizona), Galchenyuk has two 50+ point seasons and two 40+ seasons to his name. With three different teams since 2019-20, however, he’s tallied just nine goals and 25 points in 67 games.

Galchenyuk has a skill set and shooting ability that belie the trajectory his career has taken over the past few years. Since rumours of off-ice and character issues plagued him in Montreal, he’s struggled to make the consistent impact required to really catch with any of his last five teams. He got off to a good early start in Ottawa, where he scored an impressive goal on the power-play, but he followed it up with too many games where you had to double-check the score sheet to see if he played.

Friend of the site, Callum Fraser, summed up his stint in Ottawa like so:

He was impressive in his first couple of games. Thought he would turn into a PP1 mainstay – wired a couple in just first game, one of them a goal, bar down – but he fizzled after that. On the power play, I specifically remember him whiffing on three perfect passes on his final game. At 5v5, he disappears too often. Think he was feeling the pressure the past few games, because he was far more aggressive and active at even strength, but not enough to save him apparently. Still carries a lot of potential, but he’s disengaged too much.

– Callum Fraser of NHL.com on Galchenyuk’s short stint in Ottawa

That last sentence has largely been the story with the 27-year-old in his recent tours around the league, and you wonder when the urgency to save his career is going to really kick in. Playing at around a 30 or 35-point pace in scoring situations isn’t good enough if the engagement level and overall impact in terms of his 200-foot play isn’t a net positive.

The Leafs will likely put Galchenyuk in a prime opportunity to succeed with their space on the left wing. Expect him to receive a few opportunities next to John Tavares and William Nylander, as well as on power-play unit #2. At a minimum, Galchenyuk should have plenty of motivation to prove two former teams of his (Montreal, Ottawa) wrong in this Canadian division.

Jimmy Vesey and Alex Barabanov have not staked a firm enough claim to a LW spot for the Leafs not to go seeking other alternatives, and the team was understandably looking to improve on its scoring depth, as it has often looked like a two-line (or one-and-a-half line) team in terms of its offensive production at 5v5.

Galchenyuk makes $1.05 million this year before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

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

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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.

___

AP cricket:

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

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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

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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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