According to various news reports, the Maple Leafs have signed General Manager Dave Nonis to a five year contract extension.
MLSE President and CEO Tim Leiweke hinted in an interview with Bloomberg News last week that he planned to lock up Nonis, who took over for the deposed Brian Burke last January, to a long term deal.
“We’ll probably have some news on that very soon, I’m a big Dave Nonis fan, and I want a culture here that is different than the one I stepped into.”
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The Toronto Maple Leafs added another piece to an already crowded blueline with the signing of veteran Paul Ranger on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old defenseman played well for the Toronto Marlies last season after being out of professional hockey for nearly three years, logging considerable ice time and playing special teams. Ranger was thought to be back to playing at an NHL level by the middle of the AHL season, but turned down opportunities to move up to the big leagues in favor of remaining with the Marlies for the entire season.
The Whitby, ON native drew considerable interest from a number of clubs based on his prior NHL experience and two-way ability, which drove up his salary to a reported $1 Million for one year.
With Ranger now in the fold and the re-signing of restricted free agent Carl Gunnarsson to a three year contract earlier in the week, the Leafs have seven defensemen under contract. The club still has restricted free agents Mark Fraser, Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri to sign and with the addition of Ranger, Toronto has just $5.57 Million under the $64.3 Million salary cap.
Fraser declined the Leafs offer of a two-way contract in late June and is scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 30, while Franson is looking for a long-term contract extension after leading Toronto in defensive scoring in 2013.
Gunnarsson, team captain Dion Phaneuf and Jake Gardiner appear to be locks on the top two defensive pairings, as is Franson if and when the Leafs get him signed, but there are questions about where and how the remaining blueliners fit in.
Ranger joins a group vying for the final three defensive spots, which includes recent free agent signee T.J. Brennan, John-Michael Liles, Korbinian Holzer and rookies Morgan Rielly, Jesse Blacker and Petter Granberg.
Holzer, Brennan and Ranger have all signed one way deals and would be subject to waivers if demoted to the AHL, which Leafs management may have done by design, as paying additional money to retain depth is a luxury the organization enjoys. One way deals may also act as a deterrent to other NHL teams putting in a claim if they are demoted.
The addition of Ranger makes it even more likely that GM Dave Nonis will move a defenseman at some point this summer, with the veteran Liles being the logical player to be shopped.
The 32-year-old Indianapolis, IN native did not appear to fit in well in Randy Carlyle’s defensive scheme, as his strengths are more as a puck carrier and power play quarterback. The Leafs coach played Liles mostly on the bottom pairing and second power play units. He was healthy scratch for 16 games during the regular season and suited up for four of the seven playoff games against Boston.
Liles has three years left on his deal at $3.875 Million per season, but still retains a reputation as a quality offensive defenseman that should be a desirable commodity for a number of NHL teams.
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