Hockey Trade Rumors

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the seven Canadian teams that failed to qualify for this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, but they aren’t sitting around feeling sorry for themselves. The Maple Leafs have already started planning for next season by resigning two of their best players to six-year extensions, and improving their NHL sports betting odds of making the playoffs next season.

On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs announced that they have given Morgan Reilly and Nazem Kadri six-year contract extensions, keeping them with the team until 2022. Since both players were about to become restricted free agents this summer, the Maple Leafs don’t have to worry about losing either player to another team.

First of all, we don’t have it. All we know right now is that we’re one of four, and that’s important for us to know because that’s the way we’ll plan. Once we know exactly what our pick is, we’ll go from there. We’re not going to get excited over it. We’ll just be prepared to draft and work with our scouting staff, certainly, in preparation for that first pick one to four. And then we have another pick in the latter part of it. It won’t be something that we’re waiting and hoping for. We’re just getting ready.

Read more at: https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2016/04/10/lou-lamoriello-the-fans-have-just-been-tremendous/

Toronto GM Lou Lamoriello and coach Mike Babcock both called Michalek to let him know he’d be important with the Leafs. Michalek admitted he was disappointed to leave Ottawa.

“I’ve been there for so long and it’s been my home and my family was happy there, too,” he said. “It’s business. I’m here and I’m going to make the best out of it.”

Goalies the Leafs should consider in the off-season, if they’re available: Frederik Andersen of Anaheim; Jimmy Howard of Detroit; Jacob Markstrom of Vancouver

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/03/05/simmons-says-initial-subban-snub-shows-hockey-canadas-living-in-the-past

So, if Chicago, for example, want to add a huge salary such as Eric Staal’s (from Carolina), the Blackhawks could ship Bryan Bickell’s $4-million deal to Toronto in order to create the necessary cap space. The Leafs would also get a high draft pick or a worthwhile prospect for their largesse.

Eight days before the NHL’s trade deadline, the Maple Leafs shipped centre Shawn Matthias to Colorado in exchange for Avalanche prospect Colin Smith and a fourth-round pick in June’s draft.

“I’m really happy with how things are going personally this year.”