- Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger on TSN radio: “Good character guys, there’s no question (Santorelli, Winnik & Franson) but they’re also playing for contracts. In TO or elsewhere. The Leafs have interest in holding onto Santorelli, but at what price? He’s looking for 3 years @ $3 per. The interest in Winnik remains very high. Nonis reached out to several GMs to let them know where they’re at. Will take more than modern day miracle to dig out of this hole, so prepare your offers for the players you want, doesn’t have to be the players I want, can be anyone in a Leafs uniform & we’ll make the decisions when the time is right & that time is quickly approaching.”
Darren Dreger: (RE Bozak’s name not coming up in trade talk) “bc of how he’s viewed, was viewed & maybe still should be viewed as a top line C. That’s what he plays for the Leafs. His game has slipped this season & he’ll admit that. Not just the numbers. He cheats a bit more for offense or at least we’re paying more attention to it now bc of the system change & attention to D. Bozak still has value to Leafs. They’re not that deep down the middle. In fact, quite the opposite, that they’re just going to let him go for nothing. The exact opposite. He has a great cap hit & is a good piece for a contending team or the Leafs. If he is going to get traded then they’re going to get a decent rate of return.
- Hope Smoke: Pierre McGuire said that the Capitals are missing a good No. 2 center like Tyler Bozak.
- Hope Smoke: Bob McKenzie on TSN Radio: “What the Leafs must do is stock the cupboard with picks & prospects & that’s why Hunter was brought in. No quick fix here. The Leafs won’t make a few trades & turn things around. They’re going to turn guys like Santo/Winnik into picks. Absolutely there needs to be changes to the core, but that’s something that will happen in the summer.” “I think the Leafs have been looking at the Preds & their farm team. There are some players on the Leafs who interest the Preds” “I think the Preds & Ducks are two teams looking to capitalize on being the best teams in the regular season this year” “I would suspect the Preds & Leafs will have something to talk about, but that doesn’t mean anything is imminent”
- Nichols on Hockey: Craig Custance on WGR 550 on the Wings trade deadline needs: to improve their defense and have a healthy Jimmy Howard. Cody Franson makes the most sense for the Wings. He’s a right-handed shot and won’t cost as much as a Tyler Myers or Keith Yandle. Custance thinks the Kings will address their blueline. Teams still think the asking price for Myers is too high. GM Tim Murray doesn’t have to move him, so he can ask the moon for him. Custance believes he’s 100 percent available.Ken Holland on TSN 1040 radio on if they are still in the market for a defnesman:
“So ideally would we like to have a right-shot defenseman, yeah; but I think it has to be the right right-shot defenseman. We’re not just looking for a right-shot defenseman. Our defense has played real good. We’ve come off it a little bit in the penalty kill. We were first or second on the penalty kill for a long time, but the last 10 games we haven’t done as good a job. We need to get better in that area.
“So I think this time of the year between now and the deadline I’m hoping we can continue to put points on the board, and really feel that we’re a real good buyer at the trade deadline. Then we’ll see what’s available and what the price is.
