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Leivo Demoted To Marlies; Rumor Roundup

October 23, 2013, 11:57 AM ET [1053 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Maple Leafs will have two of their injured and suspended players available for their next game at Columbus on Friday night, so the club has reassigned rookie forward Josh Leivo to the AHL Toronto Marlies.

The 21-year-old Leivo scored his first NHL goal against the Carolina Hurricanes last week and also had an assist in six games with the Leafs and only increased optimism that the 2011 third round pick has NHL potential.

Leivo will be in the lineup for the Marlies, as they take on the Rockford Ice Hogs at Ricoh Coliseum at 7pm tonight.

Forward David Clarkson's 10 game suspension for leaving the bench against the Buffalo Sabres on September 22 expired with last night's 4-2 win over Anaheim and enforcer Frazer McLaren is practicing fully with the club after being out for over a month with a broken finger caused by a slash from teammate Carter Ashton in training camp.

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Sportsnet’s John Shannon indicated during a panel discussion with Nick Kypreos and Scott Morrison Tuesday that the Leafs situation with John-Michael Liles will not be as simple as Toronto agreeing to pay some of the veteran defenseman’s salary.

“I would be shocked if anybody were able to pick up the remainder of that contract and more importantly that the Maple Leafs, who still have one player they can take because they are paying (Ben) Scrivens and (Matt) Frattin in Los Angeles, that they would actually pay additional money for three more years to John-Michael Liles” Shannon said.

Rumors reporting that the Leafs would be willing to pay a sizable portion of Liles $3.875 Million salary have been circulating since the arbitration buyout window passed by in August and popped up again this week.

Toronto’s options would be limited to buying out the remaining two years of Liles deal next summer or making a trade for a player making an equivalent salary who is similarly on the outs with his club.

The buyout option would spread the cap hit over four years. According to CapGeek, the amounts would be $791,667 in 2014-15, $2.292 Million in 2015-16 and $1.166 Million in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Kypreos also reports that the success of Morgan Rielly could give GM Dave Nonis the flexibility to trade defenseman Jake Gardiner this season if the right deal comes along. Gardiner played 21:31 in the Leafs 4-2 victory over Anaheim on Tuesday, but is struggling so far this season with just two assists in 10 games.

The Leafs willingness to move Gardiner may have just as much to do with his restricted free agent status at the end of the 2013-14 season and making room to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Dion Phaneuf than Rielly’s maturation or stylistic differences with Randy Carlyle.

Moving Gardiner before the trade deadline would leave the Leafs shorthanded on the blueline, which could be the reason for their rumored interest in Florida defenseman Dmitri Kulikov. The 22-year-old Russian is reportedly being shopped by Panthers GM Dale Tallon, but the price to acquire him will be steep for a blueliner with four years of NHL experience under his belt at such a young age.

Does an exchange of struggling young defensemen make any sense??

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