Toronto Maple Leafs rumour roundup: Stars GM fuels rumours, Leafs after KHL star
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been very busy in the early goings of this season, so too have the rumor mills with constant speculation surrounding almost every piece of the roster
As the team with the largest fanbase in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs constantly have rumors surrounding every facet of their organization.
Almost nobody within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization can escape the spotlight, even depth forwards are heavily scrutinized more so than many other places in the NHL.
For some, it’s off-putting but for others, they flourish in the media circus that is Toronto.
This week, the rumor mill has been particularly active with rumors on extensions, trades, and potential free agent targets. The first, is that the Leafs are reported to have interest in a free agent from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Toronto Maple Leafs rumour roundup from this past week
Leafs interested in top KHL free agent
Maxim Shabanov is a diminutive forward who has been tearing up Russia’s top mens league, the KHL for the last couple seasons. At 24 years old, he is at the prime age for free agents who come over to North America. The Leafs are reportedly amongst multiple teams to have shown interest in the star winger.
Last season he caught many people’s attention by scoring 25 goals and 50 points in 64 games for Traktor Chelyabinsk.
He has some good speed and a high skill level which can draw eyes but he has also shown the ability to pull off slick moves in game action. He is 5-8 and 157 lbs which could prove difficult when translating his game to North American ice.
Timothy Liljegren on the trade block?
It is one of the worst kept secrets that the Leafs appear keen on trading their 2017 first round pick with Liljegren being stuck on the outside looking in after losing his roster spot in training camp.
He was signed to a two-year deal over the summer carrying a $3 million AAV. On Wednesday, according to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, 14 teams sent scouts to the game with Jim Nill, the Dallas Stars GM notably amongst them.
We will see where Liljegren ends up but as of right now, it looks like he will not be in Toronto for long. After making his season debut (where he saw less than 14 minutes of ice time) he was once again a healthy scratch Saturday in favor of Connor Timmins.
On the bright side, young right-shot defensemen seem to be a hot commodity, meaning the Leafs could net a decent return.
On the other hand, the Toronto Maple Leafs don't have four better defenseman than Liljegren, let alone six. The Leafs are making themselves worse on purpose with their ill-advised obsession with size. Liljegren is a solid puck mover who is good (but not great) at all aspects of the game, can play anywhere in the lineup, on both special teams, is right-handed (the most coveted of all defenders) and has 200 NHL games experience where he has solidly won his minutes.
Running this player out of town for no reason seems very poorly thought out, but the rumour is that he could be traded at any time.
Steven Lorentz extension?
So far in the early parts of this year, Lorentz has been a feel-good story with a yearbook quote being released of him stating that in 15 years he will be playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Everybody loves a homecoming story, especially in Toronto, and with his early season play, he seems to have endeared himself to the fanbase as well as the front office.
NHL insider Nick Kypreos said this weekd that the Leafs are considering an extension. Lorentz joined the Maple Leafs training camp on a PTO, earning himself a one-year, league minimum ($775,000) contract. He won a cup with the Panthers last season and he looks like he could be cashing in soon as he tries to win another with his hometown team.
The Leafs should be wary here. Yes, Loretnz is fitting in nicely, but why lock up players to long-term contracts when players like Lorentz are availabel for free every single year. You can maintain flexibility instead of locking yourself in, and that's a great advantage in a cap league.
Joseph Woll joins practice and set to play this week?
Joseph Woll entered the season as the presumptive starting goaltender for the Maple Leafs with the American being locked up for at least the next four seasons following a three-year extension he signed over the summer. He was set to share the crease with new free agent addition and Stanley Cup champion, Anthony Stolarz. However, after suffering an injury in the final week of preseason action, Woll was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) to start the season.
Thankfully, last week he took to the ice in practice for the first time since sustaining his injury and could see action as early as Tuesday but after missing Saturday's practice is in what was called a "scheduled day off" raises red flags. It remains to be seen when he will make his debut but it is possible that he does in short order. (All contract and information viaPuckpedia.com).
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It has been a busy week and this next week looks to be even busier with five games in eight nights coming up. Hopefully, the rumor mill is able to slow down and we get clarity on a few of these rumors soon.