In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs’ News & Rumors, I’ll share news about two former Toronto Marlies players who have been granted Russian citizenship so they can continue to play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Second, I’ll report the jersey numbers for the newest Maple Leafs players.
Third, I’ll share the sad news that Roni Hirvonen’s father Timo has passed away in Finland. Fourth, there’s good news on the Canada World Junior front. Fraser Minten has been invited to attend Team Canada meetings in preparation for the upcoming World Junior tournament in Sweden.
Finally, I’ll discuss Nick Robertson’s situation. He might be playing yo-yo between the American Hockey League (AHL) and the NHL this season as the team attempts to stay under the salary cap. He’s still waivers exempt.
Item One: Two Former Marlies Players Granted Russian Citizenship
In an interesting bit of news, a former Marlies player has been granted Russian citizenship to allow him to play in the KHL. That’s former Maple Leafs prospect Brennan Menell, who was granted Russian citizenship by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Menell signed a three-year contract extension with Dynamo Moscow and has been quite successful playing for the team.
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It’s Menell’s second KHL team. During the 2020-21 KHL season, he played 47 games with Minsk Dynamo, scoring five goals and adding 33 assists for a total of 38 points. Last season with Moscow Dynamo, he played 44 games, scored two goals, and contributed 22 assists (for 24 points).
For fans who might be confused by the similar KHL names, Minsk Dynamo and Moscow Dynamo are two separate ice hockey teams based in different cities. Minsk Dynamo is based in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. Moscow Dynamo is a team based in Moscow, the capital city of Russia.
Brendan Leipsic, another former Marlies player, has also sought to apply for Russian citizenship. He has been playing in the KHL for the past three years and joined SKA St. Petersburg, which is reportedly Putin’s favorite KHL club.
Item Two: New Jersey Numbers for New Players
In a quick bit of news, the newest Maple Leafs players will be wearing the following jersey numbers:
- John Klingberg – No. 3
- Max Domi – No. 11
- Tyler Bertuzzi – No. 59
- Ryan Reaves – No. 75
Item Three: Roni Hirvonen’s Father Timo Has Passed
There’s some sad news to report. Maple Leafs’ prospect Roni Hirvonen’s father Timo “Hire” Hirvonen has passed away. Timo was a long-time (14 seasons) left-winger in Finland SM-liiga.
Roni had a special bond with his father, who taught him how to fish. At the Maple Leafs development camp earlier this summer Roni shared that he was eager to return to Finland to go fishing with his dad.
Item Four: Fraser Minten Invited to Canada World Junior Team
Minten has been invited to the summer World Junior meetings for the 2024 team. Such an invitation is a positive sign that recognizes his talent and potential to represent Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship.
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Minten was drafted by the Maple Leafs (38th overall) at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He’s been showing well since; and, his invitation to the World Junior meetings further shows his development as a young player.
Minten’s reputation is that he’s a complete player. He’ll have the chance to show his stuff at the AHL level this season. He’s expected to spend the upcoming season with the Marlies. Look for him to make a push for an NHL spot as early as the 2024-25 season.
This summer, he’s being considered for the national junior team. The World Juniors tournament is set to take place in Sweden, where Team Canada will seek to defend the gold medal.
Item Five: Nick Robertson Still Waivers Exempt
With lots of the big moves out of the way, the team now looks to figure out how to manage its roster as a way to make that pesky salary cap work for them. They are currently $1,293,953 over the upper limit now that Matt Murray has been placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
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One way to do that is to move waiver-exempt players up and down from the Marlies. Interestingly, Robertson (who seems to have been fighting for an NHL job forever) is one of those players. He hasn’t met the requirement of 160 NHL games played before completing his fifth season. That means that the team can freely send him down to the AHL without exposing him to waivers. This exemption gives the Maple Leafs more flexibility in managing their roster and cap space.
If they find themselves in a salary-cap crunch and need to create room, once again Robertson’s the temporary fix. Let’s hope such a maneuver, if it happens, is temporary. I’m looking for Robertson to make the roster out of training camp. He had an impressive training camp last year but was demoted to the Marlies under a similar salary cap situation.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Robertson isn’t the only waiver-exempt young player who could play yo-yo this season. Pontus Holmberg and Matthew Knies are also waivers exempt. The problem with making roster moves like this is that player development might be hampered. Knies is expected to make a move for the team’s middle-six units.
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If the Maple Leafs experienced other injuries during training camp that resulted in a combined salary cap hit of more than $1,293,953, managing their roster and salary cap would become irrelevant. No one wants that, but it could happen. If it did, the team would have sufficient cap space to carry a full roster of 23 players to start the season without any issues.
Last season, the team faced a more challenging situation with limited cap space. They were only able to carry 20 players on their roster until defenseman Jake Muzzin was sidelined with a neck issue after four games.