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Bozak drawing interest from Rangers??? Notes from Camp – Day 4

July 10, 2017, 1:00 PM ET [393 Comments]
Mike Augello
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The Toronto Maple Leafs could be at the center of many trade rumors in the coming weeks with their off-season salary cap and contract situations. According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Rangers may have interest in center Tyler Bozak.

Bozak had a career-high 55 points (18 goals, 37 assists) last season centering a line with Mitch Marner and James van Riemsdyk and is entering the final year of his contract.



The Rangers are looking for reinforcements up the middle after dealing center Derek Stepan to Arizona, with Mika Zibanejad (currently an unsigned RFA) and Kevin Hayes expected to be their top two centers and have cap space to add someone like Bozak, who is good on faceoffs and makes $4.2 Million.

Brooks speculates that defenseman Nick Holden might be someone that the Rangers would offer in a deal for Bozak.

The 30-year-old blueliner led New York blueliners with a career-high 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) last season, has a year remaining on his deal at $1.65 Million and was second behind only Ryan McDonagh in ice time for the Rangers last season, but Holden’s play tailed off in the second half and appeared ill-suited for a top four role at times.

The Leafs are slightly under $4 Million over the cap and per Cap Friendly, have just $421,062 in available space to get RFA Connor Brown under contract, but moving Bozak (even if it were to acquire help on defense) would make Toronto thin up the middle.

Toronto has Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri (who combined for 72 goals last season) as their top two centers, but if they moved Bozak, it would necessitate moving either Patrick Marleau or William Nylander up the middle, which is something that head coach Mike Babcock does not want to do.



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After three days of mostly free agents invitees scrimmaging, Maple Leafs rookies will be seeing action on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Forward Jeremy Bracco was absent from workouts for the second straight day due to an illness and goaltender Joseph Woll left Monday’s practice session early after apparently tweaking his leg during a drill.

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2017 first round pick Timothy Liljegren indicated that he will be staying in Toronto after camp ends on Wednesday and will join Team Sweden later this month before heading home. The 17th overall pick is expected to play for his country in the 2018 World Junior in Buffalo, NY this December and will take part in the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, MI against Finland, Canada and the US.

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2015 third-rounder Martins Dzierkals does not expect to return for a third season with Rouyn-Noranda of the QMJHL. The 20-year-old Latvian scored 21 goals for the Huskies and hopes to begin his professional career with the Toronto Marlies this season.

“I’m going to do everything to try and be in the AHL.” Dzierkals said on Monday. “It will be better for me to make the jump. I’ll try my best and do everything for it. I don’t want to play in Junior as a 20-year-old.”

With the Leafs current contract situation, Dzierkals may have to wait until players are moved out to be signed to an entry-level deal or possibly sign an AHL contract.

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