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Johansen signs max deal w/Preds, Does Tavares want to be a Leaf?

July 28, 2017, 12:49 PM ET [216 Comments]
Eklund
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UPDATE - Ryan Johansen has signed a eight-year, $64 Million contract extension with the Nashville Predators.

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It is Friday, and in the summer that can sometimes mean wheeling and dealing...GMs love to get work done and fish on the weekends...plus there are less people on the internet to complain over the weekend and by the time Monday rolls around the rationalizations have kicked in and...well it's not so bad...

Perhaps that is why everyone I talk to today is saying they are hearing the Rangers are talking to Sakic about Matt Duchene and Brady Skjei may be in play...and you know when a trade rumor is really interesting when the fanbases from both sides feel they are giving up too much to make the deal.

Could this happen? Not completely certain but I will say I know the Rangers have interest and a definite desire for some high level scoring...but straight up the numbers don't work well at all...

Could Rick Nash and/or Tyson Barrie be part of the deal? I have been hearing both players could be gotten for the right price...

What do you think?

On Tavares and the Leafs...next July 1

Ok last year it was Stamkos and the Leafs...(remember Stammer "Liking" a tweet that talked about in Toronto?) However, having spent some time with Stamkos over the years I really knew how much he loved being somewhat anonymous in southwestern Florida and he had said how he couldn't even go to lunch in Ontario.

Enter Tavares....and I am starting to hear the same murmurs over and over...how although Tavares did indeed want to play the rest of his career for the Isles he would absolutely LOVE to wear a Maple Leaf uniform if NY didn't work out.

Some sources I talk to are people who I have met over the years with a player. Often a players friends will tell me something,but rarely will I be able to put it on the blog out of respect for their privacy. However...

I know several of his friends up in Ontario and can assure you they are pushing him and I can tell you that they have been on this from way back..even before has was drafted into the NHL..and lately they are sounding more and more excited...without giving away any of John's intentions...

Well one kind of did, texting me.."the closest I can say is JT truly loves the city of Toronto and looks at the talent he could be playing with up here and doesn't exactly scoff at the possibility...He could bring multiple Cups to Yonge St were he teamed up with the young superstars already playing here..It's hard to not think about it he has told me..."

I asked him if I could use this and he said, "please do."

So don't be surprised if next July 1 we are all seeing Shanahan and the gang next to JT in a Presser while he pulls on a #91 Maple Leaf jersey. I really think it's going to happen. I know its far out and I hope for the sake of the awesome Islanders fans it doesn't happen.

We will be discussing this and MUCH more on today's hockeybuzzcast live at 1 pm ET



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