Leafs’ Jarnkrok out at least 2 weeks due to groin injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ injury woes continue as forward Calle Jarnkrok will miss at least two weeks with a groin injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Friday, including Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.

Jarnkrok was hurt in Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. He left during the second period and did not return.

The 31-year-old was recently moved into the top six alongside John Tavares and Mitch Marner. He has five goals and nine points in 25 contests this season.

Nick Robertson is set to take Jarnkrok’s spot on the second line, according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Wayne Simmonds draws in on the fourth line.

Jarnkrok adds to an ever-growing list of unavailable players for the Maple Leafs as Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin, and Jordie Benn all remain out.

Toronto faces the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Maple Leafs icon Borje Salming dies at 71

Legendary Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming died at 71, the team announced Thursday.

He was diagnosed with ALS in August.

“The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Borje Salming,” team president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. “Borje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community.

“Borje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg.”

Salming traveled to Toronto earlier in November during Hall of Fame weekend despite his illness. The Maple Leafs honored the franchise icon with a moving video tribute and lengthy standing ovation before icing an all-Swedish starting lineup.

“It was amazing to see a couple weeks ago the reception he got (during the ceremony in Toronto) and the moment it created and what he meant to this team, this organization, and to the city,” captain John Tavares told reporters Thursday.

“It was hard not to be heavy-eyed in those moments, really take a step back and appreciate how he set the standard of what it is to be a Maple Leaf – his contributions and the effort he put forward on a daily basis and the competitive nature, and obviously the person and the player.”

Darryl Sittler, Salming’s former teammate, was extremely emotional as the crowd at Scotiabank Arena saluted his friend. He reflected Thursday on their recent time together.

“He’s at peace now. If it had to be, you couldn’t have scripted his last days better; spending time with me, (Tiger Williams), (Lanny McDonald), (Jim McKenny), all the Hall of Fame Swedes,” Sittler said, according to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby. “What made us feel good was his wife saying that since his diagnosis, she’d not seen him happier.”

Salming paved the way for many Europeans to play in the NHL after he joined the Maple Leafs in 1973. He instantly became a star, finishing top five in Norris Trophy voting in his first seven seasons while being named a first- or second-team All-Star six times.

“A superior all-around defenseman and the first Swedish star ever to play in the league, Borje Salming was as physically and mentally tough as he was skillfully gifted,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “He blazed the trail that many of the greatest players in NHL history followed while shattering all of the stereotypes about European players that had been prevalent in a league populated almost entirely by North Americans before his arrival in 1973.

“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Borje, a towering presence and transformational figure in the game’s history.”

Salming is the all-time Leafs leader in assists (620) while ranking fourth in points (768) and third in games played (1,099). His No. 21 was raised to the rafters by the Leafs in 2006 and officially retired in 2016. He’s also enshrined on Legends Row, a series of statues outside Scotiabank Arena that pays homage to the top players in franchise history.

Maple Leafs forward and fellow Swede William Nylander said the news of Salming’s death caught him off guard.

“It’s very sad. We saw him a few weeks ago. It’s crazy how fast it went,” he said. “It’s just been hard to process.”

He added, “It’s a terrible disease. At least now he’s not hurting that way anymore.”

Salming became the first Swedish player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also recognized as one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players as part of the league’s centennial celebration in 2017.

“(Salming’s) a person I’ve looked up to, especially as I’ve gotten to know the guy,” said Toronto blue-liner Rasmus Sandin. “I didn’t watch him play – I’m too young for that – but I’ve seen lots of stuff on YouTube and clips of him. Getting to know him, it was unbelievable.”

Maple Leafs acquire Timmins from Coyotes to bolster blue line

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for minor-league forward Curtis Douglas, the teams announced.

Timmins, 24, has registered seven assists in 41 career NHL games across four seasons. He shoots right and stands at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds.

The St. Catharines, Ontario, product was originally chosen 32nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2017. He was flipped to the Coyotes in the 2021 offseason as part of the deal that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Avs.

Timmins has been hampered by injuries. Since finishing his junior career in 2017-18 – highlighted by winning a gold medal with Canada at the 2018 world juniors – he’s been limited to just 93 games between the AHL and NHL.

Timmins has ties to the Leafs organization, though. While Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas was running the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, he selected Timmins in the fourth round of the 2014 OHL priority selection draft.

The Leafs are currently without their top three defensemen – Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin – due to injuries, so it’s possible Timmins could soon get into the lineup.

Timmins comes with cost control, too. He carries an $850,000 cap hit this season and will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. He won’t be unrestricted until 2026.

Douglas, meanwhile, stands at a towering 6-foot-9 and 242 pounds. The 22-year-old center has yet to make his NHL debut but has recorded 39 points in 91 career AHL games. He was originally a fourth-round pick by the Dallas Stars in 2018.

Maple Leafs place Rielly on LTIR due to knee injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ blue line has taken another major blow, as the club placed Morgan Rielly on long-term injured reserve Tuesday with a knee injury.

The Leafs will now be without their three highest-paid defensemen for the foreseeable future. Jake Muzzin is also on LTIR and out until at least February with a spine injury, and T.J. Brodie is dealing with an oblique ailment.

Players on LTIR must miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days.

Rielly was hurt Monday night in Toronto’s overtime loss to the New York Islanders. He left the game in the third period and didn’t return after colliding awkwardly with Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri. Rielly took a shift after the collision but then departed for the rest of the contest.

The 28-year-old leads all Leafs skaters with exactly 23 minutes of average ice time over 20 games this season. Rielly hasn’t scored a goal in 2022-23, but he ranks second on the team in assists (16) and fifth in points behind the club’s four core forwards.

Rielly was also driving possession before the injury. Toronto controlled 53.23% of the expected goals and 52.19% of the scoring chances with him on the ice at five-on-five this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Leafs recalled rearguards Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell from the AHL’s Marlies in corresponding moves Tuesday. Toronto’s blue line looked like this at Tuesday’s practice, per TSN’s Mark Masters:

LD	RD
Mark Giordano	Justin Holl
Rasmus Sandin	Timothy Liljegren
Jordie Benn	Mac Hollowell
Victor Mete

Rielly is in his 10th season with the Maple Leafs, who drafted him fifth overall in 2012. He produced 10 goals and 58 assists while suiting up for all 82 games in 2021-22. The Vancouver-born defender missed only one contest during the shortened 2021 campaign.

Maple Leafs’ Samsonov week-to-week with knee injury

It appears as though the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to rely on Erik Kallgren between the pipes for at least another week or so.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday that goaltender Ilya Samsonov is considered week-to-week, although the exact timeline is uncertain, per The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel.

Samsonov suffered a knee injury on Saturday in the second period against the Boston Bruins while falling back in an attempt to save Brad Marchand‘s penalty shot. He remained in the game for the duration of the middle frame but was replaced by Kallgren to begin the third.

The 25-year-old had arguably been the Leafs’ MVP through the start of the season. He holds a 6-2-0 record with a .921 save percentage and 2.23 goals against average.

Kallgren, who held down the fort Saturday in relief, was rock solid in Sunday’s 3-1 upset over the Carolina Hurricanes, making 29 saves. The 26-year-old carries a .904 save percentage in five appearances this season ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

It’ll be Kallgren and fifth-string netminder Keith Petruzzelli carrying the load for the foreseeable future. The duo has a combined 19 games of NHL experience – all of which belong to Kallgren. Fellow farmhand goalie Joseph Woll remains sidelined after offseason shoulder surgery.

However, opening-night starter Matt Murray is on the mend. He took part in Tuesday’s morning skate and will practice fully on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an adductor injury on Oct. 15. Murray was given a four-week timeline when he suffered the ailment.

Maple Leafs’ Murray out at least 4 weeks with adductor injury

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray will miss at least four weeks with an adductor injury and has been placed on long-term injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.

Murray suffered the ailment during Saturday’s morning skate.

Some video on the situation pic.twitter.com/8sjpQ2H38r

— David Alter (@dalter) October 15, 2022

Putting Murray on LTIR frees Toronto of the goalie’s $4.69-million cap hit for the time being. The Leafs only had 18 skaters on the roster due to the salary cap, so the move will allow them to carry some extra bodies.

Murray was set to start Saturday against his former team, the Ottawa Senators. Ilya Samsonov gets the nod instead, with Erik Kallgren backing up after being recalled from the AHL.

The Sens traded Murray and a third-round pick to the Leafs in July in exchange for a seventh-round pick and future considerations after injuries and inconsistent play hampered Murray’s two-year tenure in Ottawa.

However, Toronto acquired Murray in part because of his past relationship with team general manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe, who both had him in junior with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds. A two-time Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, Murray struggled in his Leafs debut against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, allowing four goals on 23 shots in a loss.

Samsonov, also a new addition for Toronto, turned in a solid debut on Thursday, stopping 24 of 26 shots in a win against his former Washington Capitals. Toronto signed Samsonov, a 2015 first-round pick, as a free agent after the Caps failed to issue a qualifying offer.

Kallgren, meanwhile, went 8-4-1 with a 3.31 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in his rookie campaign with the Leafs a year ago.

Maple Leafs shopping Simmonds

The Toronto Maple Leafs have let teams know that Wayne Simmonds is available via trade, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Toronto is more concerned about “doing right” by the veteran winger rather than maximizing a potential return, Friedman adds.

Simmonds, 34, was placed on waivers Sunday, according to NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston. Adam Gaudette, Kyle Clifford, and Victor Mete are on the wire as well.

Rosters are set to be finalized Monday as the North American start to the 2022-23 campaign kicks off Tuesday. The Maple Leafs begin their season Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens.

Toronto signed Simmonds to a one-year contract prior to the 2020-21 season and gave him a two-year, $1.8-million extension the following summer. He spoke earlier this month about his uncertain role with the team.

“Kinda on the bubble here,” Simmonds said, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “I know that I’m battling for my job here. So, you just gotta put that to the back of your mind and come out and do everything the right way.”

Simmonds was one of the league’s premier power forwards in his prime, eclipsing the 25-goal mark five times as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Scarborough, Ontario, native has also suited up for the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year career.

With the Leafs, Simmonds has recorded 12 goals and 13 assists in 110 appearances.

Maple Leafs’ Tavares to miss at least 3 weeks with oblique strain

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares will miss a minimum of three weeks due to an oblique strain, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.

With the Leafs’ campaign beginning Oct. 12 against the Montreal Canadiens, the captain is in danger of missing at least the first week of the 2022-23 season.

In his absence, Keefe said the team plans to try Alexander Kerfoot and newcomer Calle Jarnkrok at second-line center.

Tavares, 32, finished fourth on the team with 76 points (27 goals, 49 assists) in 79 games last season while averaging just over 18 minutes per contest. He added three goals and three assists in the Maple Leafs’ first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Mississauga, Ontario, native signed with the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent in 2018. He is about to enter the fifth season of a seven-year, $77-million pact.

Since his first season in Toronto, his 274 points in 280 games are the third most on the team, behind just Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

Matthews won’t comment on contract situation throughout season

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews won’t let contract discussions turn into a distraction this coming season.

“I want to be clear about the contract stuff. I’m going to touch on it today, and that’s it,” the reigning MVP said Wednesday as Toronto opened training camp, per Sports Illustrated’s David Alter. “I’m focused on the season, and we’ll deal with it then. I love playing here, I consider it home now.”

Matthews is under contract with the Leafs for two more seasons at an $11.64-million cap hit. He isn’t eligible to sign an extension until next summer but was asked about the topic in the wake of Nathan MacKinnon inking an eight-year, $100.8-million megadeal Tuesday.

“It’s well-deserved,” Matthews said of MacKinnon signing the league’s biggest contract. “As far as my situation, I’m not too focused on that, it’s still a couple of years away.”

Matthews is currently the NHL’s third-highest-paid player, trailing only Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin until MacKinnon’s new deal kicks in for the 2023-24 campaign.

The 25-year-old Matthews will surely be in the running to usurp MacKinnon’s contract. He’s recorded 457 points in 407 games since being drafted first overall in 2016 while leading the league in goals (259) over that span. Matthews – who’s scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024 – has won the Calder Trophy, Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and two Maurice “Rocket” Richards through the first six years of his career.

Matthews ‘wouldn’t mind’ if Maple Leafs picked new goal song

Auston Matthews recognizes that the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ dreams haven’t exactly been coming true since they started using their current goal song.

The reigning Hart Trophy winner said Friday that he “wouldn’t mind” if the club stopped using the classic Hall and Oates track as its celebratory tune. However, he did note that he’d be “fine” if Toronto kept it as is.

Auston Matthews says on #TimandFriends that he wouldn’t mind a new goal song for the Leafs 😶 pic.twitter.com/BLRJQBFbUC

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) September 16, 2022

The Leafs started playing “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” to mark their goals at the beginning of the 2018-19 season. Since then, they’ve failed to make it into the second round of the playoffs in all four campaigns – a trend that followed two consecutive first-round exits before the switch.

Toronto ranked second in the NHL with 3.8 goals per game during the 2021-22 regular season, but the players were more likely singing “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” after their sixth straight early exit in May.