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Bob McKenzie could see the Maple Leafs standing pat on defence, Darren Dreger isn’t convinced the Leafs’ offer for Travis Hamonic was a first round pick plus James van Riemsdyk, Jeff Marek discusses the Leafs’ 2017 draft picks, and more in the links.


McKenzie: Leafs in the market for a defenceman, but not at all costs (TSN1050)
TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie joined Leafs Lunch to recap the flurry of trade activity over the weekend at the NHL Draft, plus his thoughts on the Maple Leafs missing out on Travis Hamonic for a steep price.

They continue to look. They’re in a position where, if it makes sense, they’ll go down that road. I don’t think they wake up in the morning saying, “We absolutely have to [do something].” If the Toronto Maple Leafs come back with the same defence right now, with the Swedish kids and with some work to do — I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to get something done with Hunwick — I think they can live with that. It’s probably not their number-one preference. But I don’t think they want to pay exorbitant prices and make the kind of transaction you regret after the fact for the sake of what might be perceived as a quick fix. They were in on Hamonic, but I think the price got a little rich and they backed off on that one. I don’t doubt for a moment they’re in the market for a defenceman, but I don’t think they’re in the market for a defenceman at all costs.

Dreger: Maple Leafs are not on Marc Methot’s limited trade list (TSN1050)
TSN Hockey insider Darren Dreger joined Naylor & Landsberg to discuss the Islanders trading Travis Hamonic to the Flames, If the Maple Leafs would be interested in Karl Alzner in free agency and if Marc Methot would be targeted by the Maple Leafs.

Obviously, Garth Snow and the Islanders were looking for a more future-specific package, and that’s the deal they ended up going for with the Calgary Flames. It was a curious process to monitor in Chicago, though. There were a number of teams that were interested, but on Friday night it became evident that it really was down to Toronto and Calgary. As was acknowledged after the fact, Brad Treliving and the Flames were heavily involved in the discussions with Garth Snow over a period of time.

I don’t know how much influence Travis Hamonic would’ve had on this process, but he would’ve preferred to the West. Not to say that he wouldn’t want to play for the Maple Leafs, but his family is from Manitoba. There were reasons he wanted to get closer to his family. At least in some small way, that might’ve factored in. This isn’t an indictment on James van Riemsdyk. It’s just a fit from the Islanders perspective and what they needed in return in terms of the futures for the team.

On the market for D with Hamonic gone:

Not a lot changed on the landscape of potentially available D. Minnesota hasn’t done anything yet. There is still a lot of speculation surrounding Sami Vatanen and the Ducks. I’m on suggesting that they’re not going to move Vatanen, but there is not this heightened sense of urgency that we in Toronto who want to attach a name to a team think their might be. I think Bob Murray is going to be patient.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not on [Marc Methot’s] list. There is no Canadian team on there. But he would be a good fit. There are other pieces that Toronto will maybe lean towards. If you look at unrestricted free agency — not that Toronto wants to get into the market of an older type of player, and I don’t think Shattenkirk is a fit in Toronto — there could be some interesting pieces.

Look at Michael Stone, who is with the Flames. The Flames were negotiating with him bu for me it’s a stretch and probably unlikely that he re-signs with the Flames because of the Hamonic trade. Ottawa would have interest in Stone, and maybe the Toronto Maple Leafs as well.

On the Leafs’ level of interest in Hamonic:

This is full disclosure: I did not dive deep into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ interest in Travis Hamonic. I knew they were talking with Snow through my Islanders sources, but I just flat out asked him Friday whether James van Riemsdyk was being offered, and the message I got back from the Islanders was no. Reportedly, that changed, but I’m not certain a first-round draft pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs was ever included. That tells me that Toronto is maintaining its position when it comes to moving out those young pieces. There is a big difference between trading JVR and throwing in a first-round draft pick or draft picks, because that’s still developing your future.

Recapping the 2017 NHL Draft with Jeff Marek (Fan 590)
The CHL on Sportsnet broadcaster provides his thoughts on the selections made at the NHL entry draft (with a focus on the Maple Leafs’ top two picks), and who may be part of the latest class to join the Hockey Hall of Fame.

On Liljegren:

When you look at the entire body of work, you have to like it. When you look at the entire career of Timothy Liljegren, you have to like it. If you look at just last year — mainly playing with Rogle and then down a division…. the case of mono scuttled everything last year — you don’t like the pick. If we go back exactly one year ago, everyone — including myself — had him as the number-two prospect right behind Nolan Patrick. This was before everyone started going crazy for Nico Hischier. If we go back a year, he was the most widely-anticipated and praised Swedish prospect since Hampus Lindholm in 2012. That was the way people were talking about Timothy Liljegren. There was a legit chance he was going to go number-one in the draft.

The sickness he had this year scuttled a lot of it. He wasn’t able to get a footing. He played on a bad Rogle team as well in the Swedish league. It was an awkward season. If you just look at this year, you think, “That’s about right — middle of the pack.” If you look at the whole body of work, you say to yourself, “That’s kind of a steal for the Maple Leafs, where they got him.”

He’ll go back to Sweden this year, and will make that [World Junior] team that will be headlined on the blue line by Rasmus Dahlen, who might go first in next year’s draft. He’ll make it onto that team. The one thing about Liljegren that impressed everybody is his skating. One of the most fluid skaters of anyone in the draft, amongst the elite in his draft class. Was the strength there all season? No, probably not. The big stage, where everyone can get a better snapshot, did wonders for Nico Hischier. It was the U20 around Christmastime where he got on everyone’s radar. I think that’s the one you’re ticketing if you’re a Maple Leafs fan. Let’s watch this guy best-on-best against the finest U20s in the world and judge him then.

On Rasanen and Gordeev:

They’re both raw, especially Rasanen. It’s interesting — everyone time I would talk to Paul McFarlane, who is the now-former head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs and now the assistant coach of the Florida Panthers, I would ask him about Jason Robertson, who went to Dallas in the second round. Unprompted, right away, he would bring up Rasanen, as in “I can’t believe no one is talking about this guy. How come nobody is talking about Rasanen?” Sure he’s raw, but this guy has sky-high potential. Is he the most fleet of foot? Nope. Working on it. Does he get that bullet of a shot off enough? Nope, but that’s something that he’s working on. He brought up a good point. He said, if it was ten years ago, you’d be talking about this guy as a surefire first-round pick. You’d say, “He’s [Finnish] Chara.” I don’t think, with Rasanen, you’re just looking at size or thinking, “Wow, let’s get him on the blue line.” Of all those picks after Liljegren that the Leafs made, he probably has the most potential. It’s going to take a while and he’s still a project, but when you look at the potential that is there, I think that there is a whole lot of “there there” when you’re looking at Rasanen. That one could be the, “Wow, how did we get him in the second round?” shocker pick.

2017 Draft Notebook: Trends, analysis & thoughts on the Leafs’ strategy (MLHS)
One of the biggest assets the Leafs have at their disposal is a massive budget for player development. They have a huge development staff, their AHL team has NHL-quality facilities, and everything happens right in the city for them to keep an eye. These are advantages every other team in the league would kill for. I think the Leafs are very confident in their resources and ability to develop players in their system. That isn’t the only reason they drafted Rasananen – he was productive and successful last season – but when they get a player that projects well, they’re confident they can develop from there.

Grading the Toronto Maple Leafs’ OHL selections in the 2017 NHL Draft (MLHS)
The Leafs have taken a few of these types of players (all from the OHL) in recent drafts: Keaton Middleton, Nic Mattinen, and now Rasanen and Gordeev. You have to think that one of these defencemen can develop into a quality, punishing defender for the parent club. Of the four, Gordeev is actually the best skater, in my opinion, and that’s what makes this selection a good one, especially when combined with the improvement he’s already shown. I actually expected an NHL team to take a chance on Gordeev earlier than the fifth round.

Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya headline 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame class (Sportsnet)
Selanne is joined in the 2017 class by Dave Andreychuk, Paul Kariya, Mark Recchi and Danielle Goyette. Andreychuk played 23 seasons in the NHL and a total of 1,639 games. He scored 640 goals and 1,338 points and capped off his career with a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay. Kariya, a long-time teammate of Selanne’s, played 989 games, scoring 402 goals and 989 points in a career cut short by concussions. Recchi played 1,652 games, scoring 577 goals and 1,533 points.


RFA Qualifying Offer Deadline

5 p.m. EST on Monday, June 26.

Qualified?NameAgePosition2016-17 SalaryWaivers ExemptArbitration Eligible
Zach Hyman25F$900,000
Connor Brown23F$686,667
Garret Sparks23G$575,000
Antoine Bibeau23G$655,000
Sergey Kalinin26F$800,000
Justin Holl25D$742,500
Seth Griffith24F$625,000