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A lot of interesting items about the Maple Leafs from
the ‘32 Thoughts’ column from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Toronto sorting out their situation between the pipes is reportedly first on their list of priorities. All the momentum seems to point to Jack Campbell testing free agency on July 13 with clubs like Edmonton and New Jersey rumored to have an interest. Friedman indicates the Leafs may be in on Cup winner Darcy Kuemper if he leaves Colorado, and that GM Kyle Dubas checked in on the availability of Ottawa goalie Matt Murray last season when he was demoted to AHL Belleville.
Murray has two years remaining at $6.25 million with the Sens and it is possible that GM Pierre Dorion may use a buyout the two-time Stanley Cup winner to save $5 million in salary and clear the way for Anton Forsberg and Filip Gustavsson. If that happens, the Leafs could swoop in and sign the oft-injured goalie on a one-year, prove-it deal.
Friedman says in the past Anaheim was skeptical that Toronto has the right components to pull off a John Gibson deal, but that circumstances may have changed with the Ducks under new GM Pat Verbeek and heading into a rebuild that would use up the bulk of Gibson’s remaining term.
Rasmus Sandin’s situation is something that bears watching, especially if the Leafs are intent on keeping Jake Muzzin and do not believe that Sandin cannot switch over to the right side.
Names that were mentioned in connection to Toronto were free-agent forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Claude Giroux. The 6’4”, 218 lb. winger scored a career-high 25 goals last season and was integral to Colorado’s Cup victory, but it would be hard to believe that the Leafs could afford him with his price tag likely exceeding Ilya Mikheyev’s reported demand of $4-to-5 million per season.
Giroux scored 65 points with Philadelphia and Florida last season. The Panthers may not be able to afford re-signing the 34-year-old forward, but Toronto is equally cap-strapped unless they move a big contract off their roster.
Another name mentioned as a possible option is Max Domi. The 27-year-old winger is at a career crossroads, playing for three teams in the last three years and seeing mostly fourth-line duty with Carolina in the playoffs. The Leafs were fairly successful finding players off the scrap heap last summer, getting good contributions from veterans David Kampf and Ondrej Kase on budget-friendly deals.
No one will pay Domi anywhere close to the $5.3 million he earned the last two seasons, but if he is willing to take a low salary for one year to play in a scoring role for Toronto, there might be a fit.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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