After another playoff fiasco, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to make some changes to their core team. Hiring head coach Craig Berube is a good start to the off-season, but the job isn’t complete.
While Mitch Marner remains the top candidate to change addresses this summer among the Leafs’ core, John Tavares’ name is also circulating among some trade rumors.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek said on his show, The Jeff Marek Show, on Monday that he thinks Utah could be an ideal destination for the Maple Leafs captain.
Cont’d: “…that they could offer Tavares a pretty healthy number on a 2-yr contract as a why to entice him to waive a no-trade, would that make sense to you?”
– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 10, 2024
As of today, Utah has a grand total of $43,564,524 in cap space, and that’s not counting Shea Weber’s $7,857,143 contract, which will still go on the long-term injured list.
And let’s not forget that Utah still doesn’t have a single defenseman on a one-way contract for next season. We’ll have to pay everyone if we want to have a team on the ice in October.
Utah also has only three players aged 29 or over under contract for next season. Adding an experienced player like Tavares could help the team’s younger players develop better.
It remains to be seen whether the Maple Leafs’ captain will be willing to waive his no-trade clause and send him elsewhere this summer.
Elias Lindholm says no to Vancouver
Lindholm reportedly turned down the Canucks’ offer of seven years at $7 million per season.
Elliotte: We talked about how Canucks were willing to go 7 times 7 for Lindholm. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. So, Canucks are looking at this like we probably can’t keep Lindholm, what is our next option?
(Marek Show)
– Taj (@taj1944) June 10, 2024
So, expect Lindholm to become an uncompensated free agent this summer. He’ll be one of the biggest names to watch.
What’s crazy about all this is that Lindholm had already turned down an eight-year offer at $9 million per season from the Calgary Flames. It’s hard to know whether Lindholm thinks he’s worth more than $9 million, or whether he just doesn’t want to play in Canada anymore.
In gusto
– Congratulations.
Congrats to Jim Nill of the @DallasStars who is this year’s recipient of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/ah2w25sk8G
– NHL (@NHL) June 10, 2024
– Not bad!
Game #1 @EdmontonOilers vs @FlaPanthers last Saturday.
Ratings (average listeners per minute) on @TVASports: 483,000.
That’s a good number, I’m told.
– Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) June 11, 2024
– We get it.
Rumors of a move to Salt Lake City weren’t easy for André Tourigny and his troupe… pic.twitter.com/nhXoqP1x8J
– L’Antichambre (@Antichambre) June 10, 2024
– A little news from Montreal.
Montreal sets its sights on American defenseman Cayla Barnes with 1st round pick@PWHL_Montreal https://t.co/LZkiRqoxPz pic.twitter.com/yuYVTk37oZ
– RDS (@RDSca) June 10, 2024