On the Toronto Maple Leafs …
Platinum Seat Ghosts: Elliotte Friedman on the Maple Leafs potentially signing Joe Thornton: “I’m sure that those are the kinds of things that they are exploring.”
Maple Leafs Hot Stove: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 590 on what the Maple Leafs intention for the remainder of the offseason.
“I think the way they’re looking at it is: “What can we do for a couple of years? What can we do for a couple of years before the big contracts come in?” Matthews, Nylande and Marner – they’re obviously going to have to pay these guys in a pretty hefty way.
I think they look at it in terms of, “We’ve got a window open now. We took the President’s Trophy winner five times in over time in a six-game series and played them pretty hard. What can we do there?”
I think that’s kind of where they are right now. “What are we going to do to give us a chance to win in the next couple of years?”
We mentioned whether they would take a look at a guy like Joe Thornton, who Mike Babcock knows very well, and I’m sure those are the kinds of things that they are exploring. I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
As we know now, since Lou Lamoriello got there, it much harder to figure out what they’re up to, but I definitely have the sense that they are trying to do something very big to give them a chance in the next couple of seasons.”
Friedman later talks about the Maple Leafs level of interest in free agent winger Patrick Marleau.
“That’s a good question and I don’t really have an answer yet. I know this: Mike Babcock loves Patrick Marleau. Loves, loves, loves Patrick Marleau. Now, is Patrick Marleau what the Leafs need right now? Maybe not. Do they need a scoring winger?
Now, if they’re going to play him as a center — which he hasn’t done a lot of, I don’t think, as much lately in the NHL — then I would ask, “Where are you playing him at center?” You’ve got Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak. Does that mean Bozak is gone but he’s got a year left on his deal?
There are lots of questions there, but if Marleau is viewed as a winger, that’s the position the Leafs least need help. I also know that’s a player that Mike Babcock tremendously values.”
