As we get closer to the NHL Draft on June 26th-27th in Sunrise, FL, rumors involving the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to percolate.
Most of the headlines on Saturday’s final Hockey Night In Canada broadcast directly involve or potentially could involve the club in the coming weeks. On the management and coaching fronts, Sportsnet’s Damien Cox confirms that the Leafs will be the only club on the draft floor without a permanent GM, as selections and trades will be handled by Team President Brendan Shanahan, Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter and Assistant GM Kyle Dubas.
Tony Granato spoke to Toronto and the Buffalo Sabres about joining former bosses Mike Babcock or Dan Bylsma’s staffs, but the ex-Avalanche head coach has decided to stay on with the Red Wings as an assistant to Jeff Blashill.
Toronto are said to have interest in Kim Dillabaugh for their vacant goaltending coach position. Dillabaugh worked in the past with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets and has served as a goaltender development coach for the Los Angeles Kings organization since 2007.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Kings have blocked interested NHL teams from talking to Dillabaugh in the past, but the Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers(with former Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall at the helm) have expressed a desire to interview him.
This would the second potential defection from Los Angeles to the Leafs, as Kings VP of Hockey Operations Mike Futa is still in the mix for the vacant Toronto GM job.
Headlines: TOR GM, O'Reilly, Hudler, Granato, DET, Todd Nelson, goalie coaching -- http://t.co/WHP4zvXDhx. Last one, hope you enjoyed them.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 14, 2015On the player side, Friedman reports that the Calgary Flames are taking an aggressive posture prior to the Draft and that the Colorado Avalanche are willing to discuss trading center Ryan O’Reilly, who makes $6 Million in 2015-16 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer and that the Avs would likely be looking for defensive help in return.
The Flames(in part because of their connection to the Leafs through former GM Brian Burke) are one of the teams that could be in the mix for Toronto veterans like Phil Kessel or Joffrey Lupul, but may not be willing to make a long term commitment like Kessel’s $8 Million cap hit with contracts in the near future needed for young core players Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, along with team captain Mark Giordano.
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post indicated earlier in the week that Colorado covets Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner, who is signed through the 2018-19 season for an economical $4.025 Million per season and might have interest in Leafs team captain Dion Phaneuf.
Talk regarding interest in Phaneuf from the Red Wings may have renewed momentum as Cox reports that Detroit would be willing to move 2013 first rounder Anthony Mantha and/or their 2015 first rounder(19th overall) in a deal.
A deal between the Leafs and Wings did not come to pass at the trade deadline because Detroit offered prospect Teemu Pulkkinen instead of Mantha or Wings 2014 top pick Dylan Larkin in a package along with forward Stephen Weiss and defenseman Brendan Smith.
Based in part on recent comments from Wings executive Jimmy Devellano, Detroit has soured on Mantha after a disappointing first season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins(under new coach Jeff Blashill) and may be willing to up the ante to get Toronto to take the remaining three years and $14.7 Million of Weiss’s contract.
On the Kessel front, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Leafs forward limited no trade clause wouls allow trades to eight teams that include the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, but that does not prevent Toronto from trying to make a deal with a club not on that list and asking Kessel to consider the possibility.
With the exception of possibly the Canadiens, none of the teams on the list would have the cap room to take on the winger’s $8 Million salary, whereas teams such as the Florida Panthers or Nashville Predators could handle the large cap hit.
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