Over the next couple days, I will try to provide as many updates as possible, but tomorrow morning I will be making my way to Philadelphia for the draft, so if anything big goes down in Leaf Land, I do apologize.
Update from ESPN's Pierre LeBrun:
While neither Boyle nor(agent George) Bazos would divulge which teams had already shown interest, other sources around the league confirmed Toronto, Detroit and the New York Rangers were among the several teams that have shown interest in Boyle.
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Under the rules of the new collective bargaining agreement, all free agents have a five day period before the July 1st signing frenzy to gauge interest around the league. The beginning of that window will also reveal how close or far apart some of these free agents are from returning to their current clubs. In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, there seems to be quite a bit of distance between them and pending UFA’s Dave Bolland and Nikolai Kulemin.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that Bolland’s representatives are asking for a long-term extension of seven or eight years for around $5 Million for the 28-year-old center, while the Leafs are looking for a shorter term deal and have been rumored to be offering less than $4.2 Million, which is what Tyler Bozak was signed for last July.
David Bolland's initial ask of TOR was 7 or 8 yr deal worth shade under $5M per year. If TOR counters it will be for shorter term/lower AAV.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 25, 2014This reported contract demand of a max deal for $5 Million has been out there for nearly two months and seems quite unrealistic based on Bolland’s injury history and current health status after suffering a lacerated ankle tendon last November. .
“At this time it’s just not coming together,… agent Anton Thun said on Tuesdat. “We can’t force the Leafs to accept our terms.…
Toronto has significant interest in keeping the Mimico, ON native in the fold, but are not in a position to overpay him with the new deals of Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf kicking in, the contracts of David Clarkson and Joffrey Lupul in place and an extension for Jonathan Bernier on the horizon.
It is unlikely that any team will be willing to match what Bolland is asking from the Leafs and after the five day negotiating window, it is possible that he comes back to Toronto with a more reasonable demand closer to July 1, but the chances that the two sides will reach an accommodation appear to getting smaller every day.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that contract talks between the Leafs and Kulemin have been limited and that the main reason for the 27-year-old Russian winger moving on from the team that drafted him in 2006 is mostly due to not being given more of an offensive role in Toronto.
Kulemin has been unable to repeat his 30 goal breakout season in 2011. After slumping to seven goals the following season, playing mostly with Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur, the Leafs signed the native of Magnitogorsk to a two-year, $5.6 Million extension. He scored just 16 times in 118 games playing mostly as a checker, but did not score with any regularity when he did play with more offensive forwards like Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul.
Kulemin is unlikely to be anything more than a checking forward with the Leafs, but the possibility of him joining friend Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh may be possible if the Penguins trade winger James Neal or allow Jussi Jokinen to leave via free agency.
Toronto have begun contract talks with restricted free-agent Jake Gardiner and are trying to get the 23-year-old locked up on a short-term bridge deal similar to what Nazem Kadri signed for last summer and according to Johnston, Leafs GM Dave Nonis and free agent Mason Raymond’s agent will meet in Philadelphia over the weekend to discuss a new deal.
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The possibility of the Leafs moving one of Cody Franson or Dion Phaneuf continue to go up as available defensemen drop off the free agent list and the prices continue to escalate.
Carolina re-signed pending UFA Ron Hainsey for three years, $8.5 Million on Tuesday and the Edmonton Oliers, who are desperate to add depth and experience on the blueline gave Columbus defenseman Nikita Nikitin a two-year, $9 Million deal Wednesday morning.
Franson made $2 Million in 2013-14 and is a restricted free agent, but may be an attractive commodity to clubs who are unwilling to pay upwards of $6 Million per season on right-handed shot Matt Niskanen on July 1, while Phaneuf(in spite of his many critics) is a top pairing defenseman locked up for seven years in a league where the prices are escalating by the day.
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