Mark Roe is joined by TSN Hockey Insiders Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun to discuss the Toronto Maple Leafs’ plan for Chris Tanev and their defensive corps, the status of Quinn Hughes with the Minnesota Wild, where things stand with Matvei Michkov, and more on Insider Trading.
Mark Roe: I’m along side our insiders Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun.
For the second time this week the Toronto Maple Leafs are sitting a healthy Chris Tanev. We’ve seen for years load management in the NBA but how did Toronto come to this plan with their veteran defenceman?
Pierre LeBrun: With his best interests at heart, the organization approached Tanev while he was out when you’re out and said, “listen when you are back and healthy in our lineup, for the first month that you’re back in November, let’s have a plan here to keep you a little fresh.”
So, the idea was not to play back-to-back games, which we’ve already seen, but also not play one other game that wasn’t back-to-back. That one is Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.
Everyone signed off on it and that was the plan.
But in the interim, Morgan Rielly got injured last weekend and Tanev, as he spoke about, he’s a warrior and wants to help this team. I think he felt the plan needed to be tweaked. For now, I think the organization is sticking to it and there’s one more back-to-back later this month.
In the meantime, general manager John Chayka continues to make calls around the league looking to upgrade his blueline in a meaningful way. Not in a band-aid way, but in trade that would help this team beyond this year, not just for this season.
In other words, this isn’t because the team is where they are in the standings. He’d be trying to make this kind of move even if they had a winning record.
Roe: It’s been a great start to the season for the Wild, but of course, there is the dark cloud that hangs over that organization with Quinn Hughes’ contract extension, or lack thereof.
What is the latest on his future in Minnesota?
Chris Johnston: Well, you’d think it was a dark cloud, especially given the type of player we’re talking about. The reality is actually something quite different for the Wild.
I’m sure it’s helped by the fact that they’re off to one of the best starts in the league up this portion of the schedule and he’s playing particularly well himself.
But look, this is something they’re comfortable talking about where everyone is openly discussing and knowing “look, it lies with Quinn.” They feel comfortable with that.
I think that’s also helped by the fact that general manager Bill Guerin is giving Hughes, himself, lots of time to just make a decision for himself.
There aren’t really any contract discussions going on but it’s not really much of a cloud as you expect. I think the Wild are “all in” this season, meaning they would keep Hughes past the March 1st trade deadline if this isn’t resolved by then.
Really what we should be discussing about Minnesota is the pursuit of more players to help with the cause where Dylan Larkin remains very much on their radar.
Roe: Speculation has spread the Philadelphia Flyers and Matvei Michkov, who is rumoured to want out of Philly. The Flyers are doing their best to throw cold water on that situation.
Johnston: Yeah, it was not a coincidence that Michkov played more than 20 minutes against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Of course, general manager Danny Briere and other members of the front office flew out west when all this surfaced.
Really, I think it’s a sign of just how committed the Flyers are to try and make things work, try to settle situation down, and find a path forward where Michkov can be a top player on this team. He certainly has enough talent to be.
The other interesting aspect of this is all the discussion about it that has brought all the curious teams out of the woodwork around the league. Teams have been calling Briere and we know he’s said publicly and privately he has not interest in trading the player at this point in time.
But if the situation doesn’t settle down, he’s got a little more information about what other teams out there think of him.
Roe: There are a lot of eyes on the Pittsburgh Penguins right now given where they are in the standings and given who’s on that roster. Especially a certain Norris Trophy winner who is off to a good start to the season.
LeBrun: How about 19 points in 19 games for Erik Karlsson. He’s aging like a fine wine and still has it.
He had 66 points in 75 games last year and he’s a pending unrestricted free agent. He has a no-move clause where he has great control of whether or not he gets moved before March 1st.
The plan as I understand it, is for Karlsson and his camp to convene with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas in the new year to figure out a path forward if that does indeed include a trade.
If there is a trade market that opens up for Karlsson, keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes. They were the team that were runners up for Karlsson in August of 2023 when Karlsson was traded from the San Jose Sharks to Pittsburgh.
Carolina really wanted him then and I’m told they still have interest in him now.
They tried to sign John Carlson last July and couldn’t do it as the Tampa Bay Lightning swooped in. But they will have interest in Karlsson if he does, indeed, become available in the new year.
Roe: Unlike Pittsburgh, we don’t expect the Anaheim Ducks to be sellers, given where they are in the standings. But can we expect them to maybe sign their head coach to an extension?
LeBrun: That’s my understanding.
Joel Quenneville is one of four remaining head coaches in the NHL that is on an expiring deal. He joins Andrew Brunette [with the Nashville Predators]. Scott Arniel [with the Winnipeg Jets], and Rick Bowness [with the Columbus Blue Jackets] in that camp. Bowness just signed a one-year deal after last season.
In the case of Quenneville, who led his team to the playoffs and a first-round win over the Edmonton Oilers last year, everyone is pretty Zen about the situation. No one was worried about nothing getting done before this year.
He only signed a two-year deal when he joined the Ducks in 2025. My understanding is that contract talks began about a month ago and there’s a mutual desire for both the Ducks and Quenneville to continue that partnership.
I suspect that an extension is coming at some point.
Roe: Well success seems to follow Q where he’s coaching. They’re the insiders Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun