NHL Rumors: The Toronto Maple Leafs Searching for Competitors Upfront

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on 32 Ideas: The Podcast – Sid’s Coming Again episode, on Toronto Maple Leafs Max Pacioretty and Nick Robertson.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Bakauskas: “All proper, the Toronto Maple Leafs, couple of transactions, signings week. Nick Robertson, they signed him for one 12 months. Jani Hakanpaa is available in on protection on a one-year deal.

And Elliotte, if I’m not mistaken. I imply, you had linked these two from form of the outset of free company. This week, it turns into official Max Pacioretty indicators a PTO. So he, together with Steven Lorenz, come into camp searching for a full-time gig.

It was a busy few days of enterprise for Toronto, and now they’re going to have a busy roster to kick off coaching camp.

Friedman: “Yeah, and generally, like these handshake offers, keep quiet till they’re accomplished. However Alan Walsh is the agent for Pacioretty, he principally got here out and stated, there’s a contract right here.”

Bakauskas: “Very odd rant.”

Friedman: “So we’re, yeah, there’s no secrets and techniques there. That one’s, you realize, what’s humorous about that’s, so I took my spouse and son to see Pink this summer time on the Rogers Middle, and we walked into Pacioretty on the road.”

Bakauskas: “No means.”

Friedman: “I simply, I stated Hello to him. I stated, I stated, What are you doing right here? And he form of gave me like a ‘Oh, I’m right here visiting some associates.’ And I actually didn’t assume a lot of it as a result of I used to be with my household. You realize, I that one simply smacked me proper within the face, and I completely missed it. Like, completely missed it, that they clearly he was right here, you realize, skating and understanding for the lease at the moment.

The one factor I actually take into consideration Treliving is, I feel he’s ready to have some competitors right here. I don’t assume him and (Craig) Berube are afraid of, you realize, hey, in case you get a terrific supply, you make your transfer, proper? However I don’t assume they’re afraid of letting some gamers who would take a look at this and assume, ‘Am I on the bubble right here?’ Be a bit of bit uncomfortable. I don’t assume they’re afraid of that.

I feel they need the competitors. I feel they need to see who it drives. And it wouldn’t shock me, you don’t need to have your roster set till the day earlier than the season begins. So it wouldn’t shock me if the Leafs, let this play out a bit of bit. And I feel that’s their plan. Once more, you can get a great supply. You say, we received to take this. I feel they’re taken with making their camp a bit of extra aggressive, and so we’ll see the place that goes.”

Bukauskas: “Have been you in any respect shocked that regardless of the commerce request earlier in the summertime that Nick Robertson indicators again in Toronto for one 12 months?”

Friedman: “I simply assume the choices have been restricted. I feel the, as we stated final week, it didn’t profit him to take a seat out. And I’m speaking about this as a man who’s actually cussed, like I’m, a extremely annoyingly cussed human being.

So I get the place Robinson is coming from, however generally you simply need to take the knee and conceive defeat. You bend the knee, like they stated on Sport of Thrones, Kyle, you bend the knee.

And this was Robinson’s time the place it was it was higher for him that he simply stated, alright, I’m coming and I’ll do that. So I feel he did the correct factor. I don’t assume it was very straightforward to persuade him, however I feel that he did the correct factor.

And once more, there’s, there’s going to be some alternative right here. And the factor that advantages the Maple Leafs, and it additionally advantages him, is that if he performs nicely, everybody wins. He wins because it units himself up into a great place. The staff wins as a result of Robertson is enjoying nice. So there’s, there’s an enormous profit for everybody concerned right here to make this work.

I additionally assume Kyle, you realize, generally groups get pushed round by gamers once they have the leverage. So when a staff thinks it has the leverage, generally they wish to push again. and I feel that positively occurred with Robertson.”