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Distracting Draft Chatter, Sunday's News And Notes

June 5, 2016, 9:57 PM ET [461 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Scouting Combine in Buffalo, NY was the final attempt for 114 players to change the opinions of NHL teams about their attributes before the Entry Draft on June 24-25th, but unfortunately it will not be the last time we hear speculation regarding who the Toronto Maple Leafs will take with the top pick.

Patrik Laine had the kind of year that most players dream of, including a gold medal win at the 2016 World Junior in Helsinki, a league title and playoff MVP win with Tappara in the Finnish SM-Liiga and an impressive showing and tournament MVP at the 2016 World Championships in Russia.

The 18-year-old winger could be a big time NHL scorer and has every right to be confident in his abilities and believe he is the best player in the Draft (which he said to a group of reporters on Saturday), but reports saying that Toronto will be selecting anyone other than Auston Matthews are simply a feeble attempt at stirring the pot and creating chatter where there is none.

“There is absolutely no chance.” said Sportsnet’s John Shannon on Edmonton’s CHED Radio on Saturday. “It’s one of the downsides of time. Rumors start greater now with social media all over the place, but there is little doubt that the Maple Leafs are taking (Matthews).

Team President Brendan Shanahan and GM Lou Lamoriello have been mum regarding who they intend to select at #1 since winning the NHL Draft Lottery on April 30, but Shannon believes that the Leafs are simply attempting to manage the news and maintain a level of mystery until they step to the podium at First Niagara Center.

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Edmonton is expected to be one of the busier teams this offseason and GM Peter Chiarelli may finally be ready to break up the young Oilers core group that includes forwards Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov and Taylor Hall.

If Nugent-Hopkins is moved for much needed help on the blueline, Edmonton may be looking to add a veteran to provide support up the middle for youngsters Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

The name of Leafs center Tyler Bozak was mentioned as a possible option to fill that need.

“What they’re trying to do in Edmonton is change the culture and the key word in the culture change is ‘winning’ and I’m not sure that anybody that comes out of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization is somebody you want,” Shannon said. “I’ve seen enough games here, I’ve seen enough of the organization that there are certain guys that are leaders and there are certain guys that aren’t. I’m not sure I would put Tyler Bozak on one that would say, ‘OK, he’s going to be my third line guy.’ ”

The majority of the players traded by Toronto in the last 12 months have been moved to teams where they are filling support roles.

Phil Kessel has enjoyed a high level of success in the final months of the regular season and in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Pittsburgh, but only after being moved to the third line with Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino and not in a primary role playing with Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin. Dion Phaneuf went from a top-pairing blueliner with the Leafs to the second-pairing behind Marc Methot and Erik Karlsson in Ottawa.

Bozak is a trade chip that will be shopped around the league later this month and could be moved to a club in need of a center, but he would be a better fit as a support player on a team with a leadership group in place, such as the Detroit Red Wings (if Pavel Datsyuk leaves for the KHL), Pittsburgh (if rumors of a Evgeni Malkin deal prove to be true), St. Louis (if David Backes leaves via free agency) or Washington (who are looking for a third-line center after the Mike Richards experiment failed miserably).


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A bit of news provided by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman during Saturday’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast could have a dramatic effect on the free agent frenzy coming at the beginning of July.

NHL players were informed by the league that if they do not approve the 5% escalator clause to increase the salary cap for 2016-17, that the cap number could fall from $71.4 Million to below $70 Million for next season.

An approval of the cap increase would also increase the amount the league withholds in escrow for the year to nearly 20% of the player’s salary until the end of the season when the amount of hockey-related revenue is determined.

No matter which way the players vote, the stagnant state of the salary cap due to the decline of the Canadian dollar will have a chilling effect on teams using what available cap space they have in free agency or in re-signing their own players to big money deals.

Teams like the New York Rangers may find it even more difficult to find a home for Rick Nash’s $7.8 Million contract if they try to trade the 31-year-old winger this summer and it could have an effect on Tampa Bay if they try to move players to open up cap room to re-sign Steven Stamkos before July 1.


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