The Toronto Maple Leafs would love to re-sign Ron Hainsey but may be priced out
Pierre LeBrun: Talk that defenseman Ron Hainsey could possibility be retiring are a little early. His agent Matt Keator: “When the phone stops ringing, Ron will retire, but it’s been ringing plenty so he will keep playing.”
Chris Johnston: Toronto Maple Leafs Kyle Dubas said they would love to re-sign Hainsey but he thinks that they may be priced out.
The Leafs IMO: Bob McKenzie on TSN 1050 on Ron Hainsey.
“Wherever Ron Hainsey signs, he’s not going to get more minutes or a high profile than he would with the Leafs. He might get more money and term, but if he’s looking for a spot where he’s a cherished and valued part of the top 4, Mike Babcock’s your man.”
How the Maple Leafs may address their blue line
Maple Leafs Hot Stove: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 590 on how the Maple Leafs may be able to address their blue line.
“I think the Marner situation is holding up a lot of their other ideas. I would suspect they have a few balls in the air with trade. Before Ben Hutton was not qualified in Vancouver, I know the Leafs were in on that and had interest on him. They talked to Vancouver and couldn’t work anything out. He will be a free agent on Monday and I think the Maple Leafs will be in there but there will be a lot of interest.
There are probably some other trade targets around the league — that’s how it most likely is going to come, by trade. I think they have to see how much cap room they’ve got once they figure out Marner.”
Maple Leafs Hot Stove: Frank Seravalli on TSN said that the Maple Leafs should still continue to cut salary.
“They probably had a good idea before but now this spells out the need to continue to clear out salary cap space by moving Nikita Zaitsev. He is the cleanest cut option for a guy that has requested a trade to get him off the books.
Connor Brown — it further spells the need as a $2.1 million luxury on the fourth line to move on from him as well.”