On the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers …
Larry Brooks of the NY Post: The only way the New York Rangers would be able to trade for Toronto Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak and his $4.2 million cap hit would be to buy out defenseman Marc Staal . There has been no indication that they are going to buy him out.
The Rangers sit at $74,454,444, just $545,556 under the cap ceiling.
Sending Nick Holden and a draft pick for Bozak would add an additional $2.55 million. Lias Andersson then likely wouldn’t make the team, but they would still be just over a million over the ceiling.
notes again that there is “zero evidence that Bozak is in play with the Rangers and/or that the club intends to buy out Staal.”
Howard Berger of Between the Posts: The Maple Leafs need a defenseman, the Rangers need a center. The Rangers are apparently dangling Nick Holden, and the Maple have 31-year old Tyler Bozak.
If the teams were to get together on a deal, the Maple Leafs would need to take on another contract to enable Bozak’s contract to fit under the Rangers cap ceiling.
On the Boston Bruins …
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: The Bruins and Ryan Spooner agreed on a one-year, $2.825 million deal before they started their salary arbitration hearing yesterday.
Spooner has averaged 44 points over the past two season and is a key part of their power play success – seventh in the league. He suffered a concussion last year and struggled after coming back.
If Spooner doesn’t improve in some areas, should expect the Bruins to once again involve him in trade talks. At 25-years old, he’s no longer developing.
He was part of trade talks for Marco Scandella – one of the main pieces involved – so he does still hold some trade value around the league.