UPDATE - 9:11am
58 players are expected to report to the MasterCard Center in Etobicoke, ON for the first day of the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp, but restricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson will not be one of them. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, there is a significant gap in negotiations between the two sides on a short term deal.
The Leafs took care of one of their potential holdouts with the signing of RFA center Nazem Kadri to a two-year, $5.8 Million contract Tuesday night, which leaves slightly less than $2 Million under the $64.3 Million salary cap, but the club does have flexibility on that number until the beginning of the regular season and may be looking to trade or demote a roster player to open up cap room between now and then.
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As per Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, the Leafs have signed center Nazem Kadri to a two-year bridge deal.
Other reports confirm that the deal is for $5.8 Million, an AAV of $2.9 Million per season.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs invited 59 players to their training camp, which begins tomorrow at the club's practice facility in Etobicoke, ON. The roster consists of 33 forwards, 20 defenseman and 6 goaltenders and will be cut down to 23 players by the end of September in preparation for the season opener in Montreal on October 1st.
Courtesy of the Mapleleafs.com website:
The roster includes five free agent invitees; forward Matt Rupert(London-OHL), blueliners Trevor Murphy(Windsor-OHL), Kevin Raine(Sudbury-OHL) and Zachary Yuen(Tri-City-WHL), who all participated in the Rookie Tournament in London, ON last weekend, as well as former Vancouver Canucks winger Mason Raymond.
Restricted free agents Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson are also included on the list of 59 players, but it is unknown whether the two players will choose to participate in workouts until they have a signed contract. Reports indicate that Kadri's representatives and the Leafs are now on the same page regarding a short term "bridge" deal, but there is still a sizable difference in the dollar figure the 22-year-old center is looking to earn.
Leafs coach Randy Carlyle and GM Dave Nonis will be available to the media and players will go through medical evaluations Wednesday morning and the club will take to the ice on Thursday.
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