The Leafs interest in acquiring help at center will be contingent on the status of contract talks with pending UFA Dave Bolland. According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the two sides are not currently in talks on a new deal and that communication may not resume until just before the July 1st free agent starting date.
There appears to be mutual interest in the 28-year-old two-time Stanley Cup winner staying in Toronto, but the Leafs are willing to wait until the last few days before Bolland hits the open market to see if they can get a more cap friendly deal.
An interesting wrinkle is that Bolland and other free agents will have the ability to discuss contract perimeters with other NHL teams beginning on June 25. By the end of that discussion window, the Mimico, ON native may have an idea if there will be a brisk market for his services and whether the Leafs offers for an extension are competitive.
The risk Bolland takes is that Leafs GM Dave Nonis may see an opportunity to trade for a veteran center at the NHL Draft next Friday in Philadelphia, which may take them out of the bidding for his services.
Toronto has also not actively discussed a new deal with winger Mason Raymond, who scored 19 goals last season after being invited to training camp on a tryout contract. The 28-year-old winger made $1 Million last season and in a league where speed is a valuable commodity, it is likely that the Cochrane, Alberta native will receive long-term contract offers making three times what he made with the Leafs last season.
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TSN's Bob McKenzie reports that former NHL head coach Andy Murray had been approached by the Leafs to be part of Randy Carlyle's coaching staff, but the 63-year-old bench boss has decided to stay in his current position as head coach of Western Michigan University.
Murray coached the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 to 2006 and the St. Louis Blues from 2006 to 2010.
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