The lack of professional sports has been a cause for reflection across the board. And that’s no different in Toronto, where many wonder what will happen with the remainder of the NHL season and how — or even if — the Maple Leafs will end their turbulent season. But while we can’t predict the future, we can look back at the past.
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Since taking over as Leafs general manager on May 11, 2018, Kyle Dubas has drastically overhauled the Leafs roster.
And so, taking inspiration from Jays writer Kaitlyn McGrath, we can look at how some recently departed Leafs have fared in their new NHL stops.
Matt Martin
Jul. 3, 2018: Traded to the New York Islanders for goaltender Eamon McAdam
Martin is included here simply because he was one of the more polarizing figures since they began their rebuild. The 30-year-old left winger’s four-year, $10-million contract still doesn’t look great in hindsight, but there’s undoubtedly some Leafs fans who believe the Leafs miss his physical presence. Martin has continued his bruising style of play, averaging 4.4 hits per game in 55 games, good for second in the NHL among players with 50 games played. He’s added eight points in 55 games this season.
Martin suffered a leg injury on October 25 and did not return until November 21.
Injuries to Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas have meant the trio, which played together as a high-energy, physical line (Dubbed the “Identity Line” by Islanders coach Barry Trotz) for the Islanders from 2014 to 2016, have seen limited action.
“It’s so easy (playing with Clutterbuck and Cizikas) because you just know the mindset and what we want to do,” Martin told The New York Post earlier this month.
Martin has seen his ice time decrease from 11:26 per game to 10:25 this season. He is in the last year of his contract.
But he isn’t fretting.
“I haven’t really thought much about it,” Martin told Newsday in February. “I’ve just been focused on this season. Going through that process once, like anything, you get a better understanding of it. The unknowns of that whole experience are what took up your mind-space.”
Connor Carrick
Oct. 1, 2018: Traded to the Dallas Stars for a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft (defenceman Kalle Loponen)
Carrick was a favourite in the Leafs dressing room for his hockey mind and his healthy lifestyle off the ice.
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He’s now one of the more active NHL players on Instagram, regularly posting updates on his personal life, his love of coffee, his training habits and now, how he’s dealing with self-isolation because of COVID-19. He’s posted videos of him scaring his wife, Lexi, just for kicks, as well as calls out to assist others in need.
“With that said, can I be of help to you? If you think I can, let me know how, and I’ll do my best to make that happen,” Carrick posted in an Instagram story on Wednesday.
On the ice, Carrick has since moved from the Stars to the New Jersey Devils. The 25-year-old has remained a bottom-pairing defenceman, logging six points in 29 games with an average of 14:25 per game, 10th among Devils defencemen. He’s on his fourth NHL team.
Carrick was sidelined from Oct. 14 with a broken finger but played in 27 of the Devils 35 games since then.
It remains to be seen whether Carrick will ever fully catch on as a full-time, indispensable NHL defenceman. His 5-on-5 xG% this season was 41.39 percent, the lowest of his career. Obviously a lot of that is due to the fact that he plays on the bottom-feeding Devils.
He has one more year on his two-year contract with a $1.5-million cap hit. With Carrick in and out of the Devils lineup, there were questions about whether he’d be dealt at the trade deadline in February.
“You don’t really breathe fully for a least a week,” Carrick said of the deadline in February.
“As a player, you build dreams and relationships around the organization that you’re with and those kind of die a sudden death,” Carrick added. “When you get traded, it ain’t no summer camp. You’re there until you’re not. I was in Washington and had close friends and then boom, I haven’t played a game with them since. You’re with these people every single day and then not again. So I would say that’s the acceptance process.”
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Josh Leivo
Dec. 3, 2018: Traded to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Michael Carcone
In Toronto, Leivo was an overlooked and underplayed left-winger. He averaged 12:34 of ice time over 13 games in 2016-17, before his ice time dropped by two minutes in the next two seasons. Unable to find his place under Mike Babcock, Dubas did right by Leivo and shipped the 26-year-old to Vancouver.
“I was pissed off last year not being able to get the minutes over on the other team,” Leivo told The Athletic in November. “When I got here, I knew there was an opportunity open.”
Everything looked to be going Josh Leivo’s way early on with the Canucks. He netted 18 points in 49 games in 2018-19 and then 19 points in 36 games this season. He has averaged over 15 minutes a game since coming to Vancouver. His 1.99 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes is fifth among the Canucks.
Unfortunately, Leivo sustained a fractured kneecap on Dec. 21, 2019 and was likely going to be out for a while.
Leivo is on a one-year, $1.5-million deal. Given both his, and the Canucks’, upward trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in Vancouver next season.
Patrick Marleau
Jun. 22, 2019: Traded to the Carolina Hurricanes with a conditional first-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft for a sixth-round pick in 2020.
It’s been a strange run for Marleau since he, and his $6.25-million cap hit, were dealt to the Hurricanes at the 2019 draft.
He was bought out by the Hurricanes five days later and then signed with his team of 19 seasons, the San Jose Sharks, on a one-year, $700,000 contract on Oct. 9, 2019. Marleau was then traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins at this season’s trade deadline for a conditional 2021 third-round pick.
It was yet another move in a short amount of time for the 40-year-old and his wife and four children.
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“It’s difficult, especially when the family and kids are involved,” Marleau said ahead of his first game back in San Jose on Feb. 29. “You have to weigh (that) as well. My family is very supportive and they mean the world to me. They wanted me to have a shot, and I was able to take it with their support.”
Even with the trade, there was some overlap with the Penguins and Leafs schedules in California in late February. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner found time to visit the Marleau home for dinner.
Family reunion! The boys all are getting so big. Missing Caleb, who was sound asleep. pic.twitter.com/yWc7WpanX1
— Christina Marleau (@c_marleau) March 2, 2020
Marleau might have had a chance to go on a deep playoff run with the Penguins, even if his on-ice production has severely decreased this season.
He scored 1.37 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes this season, which is only the 10th highest of his 13 seasons listed at Evolving Hockey. He has a shooting percentage of just 9.4 percent this season, the second-lowest total of his career.
Perhaps the most noticeable decline for Marleau has been his time on ice: he’s logged 15:35 this season, which is 18th in his 22 NHL seasons. (Note: His totals from his rookie season, 1997-98 were not available via Hockey Reference)
Still, here’s hoping Marleau gets another chance not just to play in the NHL again, but to have a crack at the Stanley Cup he’s been chasing his entire career. Marleau has played 1723 NHL regular season games. That’s fifth in league history and the most of any player not to have won a Stanley Cup. Had he played in Pittsburgh’s remaining 13 games this season, he would have moved into third on the all-time list. He remains 44 games back of Gordie Howe’s record of 1767 games played.
Ron Hainsey
Jul. 1, 2019: Signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators
There were certainly times this season when it seemed like the Leafs missed old uncle Ron on the blue line. Through a tumultuous season, the 38-year-old’s veteran voice likely would have been welcome.
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By many accounts, not much has changed with the oft-prickly but always honest Hainsey in Ottawa. He still doesn’t speak to the media that much, but he is being leaned upon to provide veteran leadership on a young team.
“On a daily basis, he deals with (23-year-old star Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot) and he’s got him playing really well,” said Senators coach D.J. Smith earlier in March. “He’s teaching these guys and that’s like having an extra coach.”
Statistically, Hainsey was on pace for just 14 points on the season, his lowest total since the 2014-15 season. But at 38, he logged big minutes for the Senators this season. His 1067 5-on-5 minutes this season are second only to Chabot.
Hainsey is on a one-year $3.5-million deal. If he wants to keep playing, it’s hard not to see a young team signing him.
Nikita Zaitsev
Jul. 1, 2019: Traded to the Ottawa Senators with forward Connor Brown and forward Michael Carcone for defenceman Cody Ceci, defenceman Ben Harpur, forward Aaron Luchuk and a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft
Zaitsev was always a man of few words in Toronto, and that hasn’t changed. I had a chance to catch up with the 28-year-old Zaitsev in February in Ottawa and asked him how things have been going with his new team.
“Pretty good,” he said.
The numbers, however, tell a different story.
Of the 124 NHL defencemen who have played 900 5-on-5 minutes this season, Zaitsev’s xG% of 45.37% is 114th. Of those 124 defencemen, he is one of six defencemen to not have scored once at 5-on-5.
He’s still playing a fair bit: he’s averaged 22:09 of ice time this season.
Still, getting rid of Zaitsev and his $4.5-million cap hit was one of Dubas’ better moves as Leafs GM. His albatross of a contract may very well remain with the Senators until 2024.
Connor Brown
Jul. 1, 2019: Traded to the Ottawa Senators with defenceman Nikita Zaitsev and forward Michael Carcone for defenceman Cody Ceci, defenceman Ben Harpur, forward Aaron Luchuk and a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft
When the Toronto media arrived in Ottawa for a Feb. 15 game between the Leafs and the Seantors, Brown found the spotlight. At the time, he as the Senators leading scorer. He now sits second with 43 points in 71 games.
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So, he was asked, what’s gone into his success this season?
“Just belief in me,” said Brown. “I think that (Head coach D.J. Smith) has given me every opportunity to succeed here and there’s belief in my ability. That’s seeped into me being able to get back to what I felt I could do.”
The 26-year-old’s success in Ottawa is no real surprise. After the trade, Senators GM Pierre Dorion didn’t hold back when assessing the deal.
“Of the four (ex-Maple Leafs) players we talked to today, I can tell you both (Smith) and I can say that Connor Brown was probably the most excited to be here,” Dorion said on July 1.
Brown is averaging over 20 minutes a night for the first time in his four full NHL seasons. His 20:07 average ice time is the highest of any Senators forward. He is in the final season of a contract that pays him $2.1-million per season. His success in Ottawa this season and his relationship with Smith means he’s very likely to stay in Ottawa.
Nazem Kadri
Jul. 1, 2019: Traded to the Colorado Avalanche with defenceman Calle Rosen and a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft for defenceman Tyson Barrie, forward Alex Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft
You could argue that no former Leaf has been missed this season as much as Kadri. The 2009 first-round draft pick was the longest-tenured Leaf and was both a fan and dressing room favourite, blending physicality and scoring.
What was an otherwise successful first season for the 29-year-old Kadri in Colorado was shortened by a lower-body injury sustained in a Feb. 9 win over the Minnesota Wild.
“I think that Kadri’s a big loss,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar in a radio appearance on Feb. 11. “You’ve got a face-off guy, you got a power-play guy, you got a second-line centre down the middle that adds some experience and, like you said, that grit and sandpaper.”
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Kadri was inching towards a return when the NHL season was suspended.
Kadri finds himself on an Avalanche team that looked destined to enjoy home-ice advantage in the playoffs, and he was a big reason for that success. He was producing at a 58-point pace for the season before the injury. His career high was 61 points with the Leafs in 2016-17.
His 2.33 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes was second only to the 3.29 points per 60 minutes that he logged in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. That’s good for 41st among all NHL forwards with at least 600 5-on-5 minutes played.
It all adds up to Kadri appearing happy and more relaxed in his new surroundings.
“It’s awesome. I love it,” said Kadri in November. “It’s honestly just a breath of fresh air not having to walk outside and feel like everybody is watching you being under the microscope, so it’s definitely a little more relaxing.”
(Sergei Belski / USA TODAY Sports)
Garret Sparks
Jul. 23, 2019: Traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward David Clarkson and a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft
For years, the 2011 seventh-round draft pick looked like the backup goalie of the future for the Leafs. His 2018 Calder Cup and the Baz Bastien Memorial award as the AHL’s best goalie propelled him to beat out Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard as the backup to Frederik Andersen for the 2018-19 season, but it wasn’t meant to be. Sparks struggled, posting a .902 save percentage in 20 games. He eventually left the Leafs on a 10-day stint with goalie coaches Steve Briere and Jon Elkin.
“We need him to get (his game) back,” then head coach Mike Babcock said at the time.
Sparks never played for the Leafs again. In July, the 26-year-old spoke about his poor season, including sustaining a concussion after taking a William Nylander shot to the head during a Jan. 3 practice.
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“I felt I was finally starting to build some momentum and get my chance,” he said. “I just felt like I got cut down, and it’s hard to regrow after you get your progress chopped off like that.”
After being traded to the Golden Knights, he played just one game for them, coming on in relief and allowed two goals on 14 shots in an Oct. 25 6-1 loss against the Colorado Avalanche.
He’s spent the majority of his time with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season, posting a .908 save percentage through 26 games. He is in the final year of a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Jake Gardiner
Sept. 6, 2019: Signed as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes
One of the better Leafs defencemen in recent memory hasn’t exactly had a great start to his four-year, $16.2-million contract with the Hurricanes this season.
The 29-year-old Gardiner averaged just 16:40 of ice time in 68 games. That’s a far cry from the more than 21 minutes a night he was averaging over his last three seasons in Toronto.
And his 5-on-5 points per 60 (0.75) is down from his last three seasons in Toronto.
But as per usual, his underlying numbers are strong. His 5-on-5 xG% is 52.55%, which is 37th of 124 NHL defencemen with at least 900 minutes played.
Moving from one team that you’ve played for your entire career to a brand new team can be difficult, especially when you’re coming off a herniated disc injury.
“In your contract year, you’re trying to play through everything,” Gardiner told James Mirtle ahead of his return to Toronto in December. “Finally I just said, this is too painful. I had to take some time off. Luckily I didn’t have to do surgery or anything. That was probably one of the harder things to go through (in my career), especially in a contract year.”
You have to believe he will eventually find his stride with his new team. The affable, easy-going Gardiner still has to improve his chirping game, but it still sounds like he’s enjoying Carolina.
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“It’s been great,” Gardiner said. “Team’s awesome. Weather is great. My wife likes it. Really good guys on the team. It’s been a pretty easy transition, to be honest.”
Trevor Moore
Feb. 5: Traded to the Los Angeles Kings with a 2020 third-round pick and a conditional 2021 third-round pick for forward Kyle Clifford and goaltender Jack Campbell
A change of scenery has certainly benefitted Trevor Moore.
The 24-year-old California native had an injury-riddled 2019-20 campaign with the Leafs, scoring five points in 27 games this season. Former coach Mike Babcock was a fan of Moore’s, but he was caught in a log jam of speedy wingers on the team. Playing higher up the lineup with the Kings, he has posted five points in 15 games.
His shooting percentage has jumped from 7.3 percent with the Leafs this season to 15.8 percent with the Kings. He’s obviously due for some regression next season. It will be interesting to see what kind of role he maintains with the rebuilding Kings.
But for now, Moore seems to have welcomed his new life in California. He grew up a Kings fan.
“I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t special, for sure,” said Moore. “It’s the team that I grew up watching, we had season seats, where I got my love of the game. To put this practice jersey on here today, to be a part of this, it’s surreal, it’s awesome.”
Michael Hutchinson
Feb. 24: Traded to the Colorado Avalanche for defenceman Calle Rosen
Quintessential nice guy Michael Hutchinson played just one game for the Avalanche since being moved at the trade deadline. On his 30th birthday, he stopped 17 of 18 shots in a Mar. 2, 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Hutchinson spent the majority of his short time with the Avalanche on the road and used the time to become acquainted with the team’s systems and personnel.
“It’s been a fun road trip getting to know the guys and just feeling more comfortable,” said Hutchinson after the win.
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Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer sustained a lower-body injury on Feb. 15, which likely necessitated the trade for Hutchinson. Grubauer was inching closed to a return when the NHL season was suspended, so that one game might have been his only one with Colorado this season.
(Stats via Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey)
(Top photo: Joe Sargent / NHLI via Getty Images)
