- Kevin McGran: MLSE’s Tim Leiweke: “There are players we have in our org today whose numbers are off the chart good + whose character is just terrible.”
- Pierre LeBrun: In an email, Leiweke said that he was talking about players in general and not about specific Maple Leafs players. Said he was just trying to make the point that you can’t build a team just off of analytic, also need character.
- Hope Smoke: Bob McKenzie: “We didn’t hear the full question, but I don’t know where you can get ambiguity from that Leiweke comment.” … “I don’t know how you can dance your way away from that.” … “For a guy who has one foot out the door already, that’s like throwing a molotov cocktail back into the building” … “It doesn’t matter who the player. You have somebody in a place of very high authority casting major league aspersions” … “I don’t know what the fallout would be, but if you already have a guy who is the outgoing president.” … “If I was running MLSE I’d want a full explanation from Leiweke, & a tape of the interview.” … “If it this is as it seems, this is unforgivable.” … “It puts everyone in a really bad spot to defend themselves just as the season is set to get going” … “Suddenly the Leafs have a character to address because it was brought up by the guy in charge, unbelievable.”
- Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger: “Not to send alarm bells ringing, but the Leafs Robidas is close, but might not be able to take full contact in training camp”
- Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post: Capitals Tom Wilson has recently been cleared to start skating after he suffered an injury this summer from a ‘fall.’ Defenseman Dmitri Orlov isn’t expected back until the end of September from his broken wrist.
- Jon Rosen: Kings prospect Nick Ebert is getting close to returning from offseason wrist surgery. He signed an entry level contract last May.
- Erik Erlendsson: Reports from Igor Eronko and the Salavat (KHL) website say that goalie Leland Irving signed a contract with Ufa. Irving was going to be at the Lightning’s training camp on a tryout.
- Tom Gulitti of the Record: Devils Ryane Clowe still hasn’t taken any contact and he hasn’t been cleared by doctors yet.
“I feel pretty good,” Clowe told me today. “I’m not going to say if I’m ready to go or not because I’ve got to get cleared to play and I’ve got to see the doctor again before the season starts. But I feel good. I, obviously, haven’t done any contact. I’ve been skating the last few weeks, just scrimmaging since I got back with the guys. I’ve been on the ice and stuff.
“The biggest thing with me is, when we start practicing, if I get some contact in then and just go from there. I’ve been feeling pretty good. I’ve been working out pretty normal the last, I guess, month.”