sens @ Leafs - Feb. 17th, 7:00pm - SN, Fan 590

[CarltonTheBear]

@

  4-12-1, 9 points | 11-3-2, 24 points

Projected Lines

Tkachuk-Norris-Brown Paul-White-Dadonov Stutzle-Stepan-Batherson Anisimov-Tierney-Watson Chabot-Zaistev Reilly-Zub Brannstrom-Gudbranson Hogberg ​

Thornton-Matthews-Marner Hyman-Tavares-Nylander Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Engvall Vesey-Spezza-Boyd Rielly-Brodie Muzzin-Holl Dermott-Bogosian Andersen​

Scratches

Joshua Brown Christian Wolanin Ryan Dzingel ​

Mikko Lehtonen​

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Taxi Squad

Michael Haley Matthew Peca         Braydon Coburn Joey Daccord ​

Alexander Barabanov Alex Galchenyuk Scott Sabourin Nicolas Petan Martin Marincin Joseph Woll​

Game Notes

OTT
-Hogberg (2-5-0, 4.32 GAA, .860 Sv%) will likely start for the sens
-The sens have won 2 games in a row for the first time all season
-Brannstrom and Murray both seem healthy now, though it's possible Hogberg gets another start

TOR
-Andersen (9-3-2, 2.79 GAA, .901 Sv%) will likely start for the Leafs
-The Leafs have lost 2 games in a row for the first time all season
-No practice yesterday so any potential line-up changes aren't known yet
Injuries

Ryan Dzingel - COVID Protocol - Quarantine​

Wayne Simmonds - Hand - Injured Reserve Jack Campbell - Lower Body - Injured Reserve​

Stream Options

BilaSport.net
Sportsurge.net
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[Zee]

I fully expect the Leafs to respond tonight and blow out the Sens.  If that doesn't happen I'm going to seriously question the make up of this team.  Sens have 4 wins, 2 of which are against the Leafs.

 

[herman]

Tkachuk-Norris-Brown

Anyone else just seeing this now?

 

[Redleaf]

Tkachuk-Norris-Brown

Anyone else just seeing this now?

I see Tkabrown ??

 

[Zee]

Tkachuk-Norris-Brown

Anyone else just seeing this now?

I see Tkabrown ??

Oh.. Chuk Norris

 

[L K]

If the Leafs win, I will still be disappointed in the game on Monday.  If they lose, I'll be disappointed because they lost.  If the effort isn't there for the full 60 minutes tonight though we might have a big problem with the makeup of the team.

 

[bustaheims]

Tkachuk-Norris-Brown

Anyone else just seeing this now?

Always hiding in plain sight.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1362061390744322048

Expect Hutchinson to go tomorrow then.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1362062401894547458

 

[Bender]

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1362062401894547458

Wonder when Galy & Robertson draw back in.

 

[herman]

Wonder when Galy & Robertson draw back in.

I think Robertson is getting what is essentially a conditioning stint.
Galy needs a bit more dev work and he's already through waivers. I don't see them calling him up until Vesey outright falls off the roster.

 

[bustaheims]

I think Robertson is getting what is essentially a conditioning stint.
Galy needs a bit more dev work and he's already through waivers. I don't see them calling him up until Vesey outright falls off the roster.

Robertson coming back up will also be impacted by whatever happens with the OHL season. If the OHL season gets going, I imagine he'd need to have cemented a full-time spot in the lineup to avoid heading back to junior.

 

[herman]

I think Robertson is getting what is essentially a conditioning stint.
Galy needs a bit more dev work and he's already through waivers. I don't see them calling him up until Vesey outright falls off the roster.

Robertson coming back up will also be impacted by whatever happens with the OHL season. If the OHL season gets going, I imagine he'd need to have cemented a full-time spot in the lineup to avoid heading back to junior.

I think he has until April to make his case.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Zero chance the Leafs let Robertson go back to the OHL for what they're calling a "season". Transfer agreement be damned.

Maybe not AHL, but they'll be allowed to keep him on the taxi squad. I'd bet anything on it.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/1362070608683671555

If they can convert this big scoring forward into a defensive stalwart winger to extend the twilight of his career, that'd be pretty okay with me.

 

[L K]

Yeah I think Robertson stays in the AHL for the next while unless the Leafs offense completely dries up and they get desperate.  The 3rd period collapses against Montreal and Ottawa aside, we have enough guys to rotate through the bottom 6 right now that Robertson is better off getting AHL time under his belt.  If/when the OHL tries to recall him the Leafs can call him up if they need to but I think he's better served playing 1st line minutes in the minors.

 

[bustaheims]

If/when the OHL tries to recall him the Leafs can call him up if they need to but I think he's better served playing 1st line minutes in the minors.

I agree. The issue is, if/when the OHL season gets started, he can't play in the AHL. If he's not a full-time Leaf at that point, he'll have to go to the OHL - unless there's some kind of updated agreement for this season.

 

[L K]

If/when the OHL tries to recall him the Leafs can call him up if they need to but I think he's better served playing 1st line minutes in the minors.

I agree. The issue is, if/when the OHL season gets started, he can't play in the AHL. If he's not a full-time Leaf at that point, he'll have to go to the OHL - unless there's some kind of updated agreement for this season.

Oh year.  Maybe needed clarification on my part.  I think practice on the taxi squad with NHL level coaching is more valuable to Robertson than more time in the OHL at this point.  Certainly sheltered NHL time trumps that even more.  I'd prefer to not see him on the NHL roster at least for a while though unless he just absolutely dominates the AHL and forces his way back into the top 9 rotation.

 

[bustaheims]

Oh year.  Maybe needed clarification on my part.  I think practice on the taxi squad with NHL level coaching is more valuable to Robertson than more time in the OHL at this point.  Certainly sheltered NHL time trumps that even more.  I'd prefer to not see him on the NHL roster at least for a while though unless he just absolutely dominates the AHL and forces his way back into the top 9 rotation.

That's fair, though, I'm not sure how being on the taxi squad would be classified for the purposes of the agreement between the NHL and the CHL. Considering players need to pass through waivers to be sent to it, it might be seen as equivalent to the AHL, and, therefore, not an option. I guess we'll see if/when the time comes - though, based on what I can find online, it won't be an option if/when the OHL gets going again.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That's fair, though, I'm not sure how being on the taxi squad would be classified for the purposes of the agreement between the NHL and the CHL. Considering players need to pass through waivers to be sent to it, it might be seen as equivalent to the AHL, and, therefore, not an option. I guess we'll see if/when the time comes - though, based on what I can find online, it won't be an option if/when the OHL gets going again.

The specific wording of the agreement is "a signed player age 18 or 19 who has been claimed from the CHL and who is not retained by his NHL Club, must be assigned to the Junior Club of the CHL yada yada yada".

I think NHL teams are going to have a pretty easy case arguing that being on the taxi squad is still considered being "retained" by the team. Yes in some ways players on it are treated as if they're assigned to the AHL but at the end of the day they're practicing with the team, they're travelling with the team, and they're able to play in a NHL game at a moment's notice. They're still being retained by the team. Good luck to any lawyer the CHL wants to hire to argue that one in arbitration.

The AHL question is definitely the trickier one. I still expect some kind of agreement to allow that to happen but we'll see. Money talks, and the CHL needs it and having star players isn't going to help get them cash when they aren't allowed fans in the arenas. CHL teams generally get cash payments when their 18/19 year old players play in the NHL instead, just extend that to the AHL (for this season only) and they'll be happy.

We should get a more clarity in the next few weeks with the WHL season starting before the OHL. Particularly what happens with Seth Jarvis should give us a good precedent. He's currently playing for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL (7 points in 5 games). His WHL team, the Portland Winterhawks, are currently set to play in the WHL's U.S. division starting March 19th. With training camp and quarantine process he should theoretically be getting recalled by Portland very soon if they intend on making him play there. I'm guessing Carolina is very much going to want to keep him in the AHL.