NHL Rumors: The Toronto Maple Leafs On the lookout 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 yr. 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 type 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 on the lookout for a full-time gig.

NHL Injuries: Sabres, Predators, Devils, Penguins, Hockey Club, Golden Knights and Capitals

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 typically, like these handshake offers, keep quiet till they’re achieved. However Alan Walsh is the agent for Pacioretty, he principally got here out and mentioned, 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, , what’s humorous about that’s, so I took my spouse and son to see Pink this summer season on the Rogers Heart, and we walked into Pacioretty on the road.”

Bakauskas: “No means.”

Friedman: “I simply, I mentioned Hello to him. I mentioned, I mentioned, What are you doing right here? And he type of gave me like a ‘Oh, I’m right here visiting some pals.’ And I actually didn’t suppose a lot of it as a result of I used to be with my household. You already know, 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, , skating and figuring out 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 suppose him and (Craig) Berube are afraid of, , hey, when you get an excellent supply, you make your transfer, proper? However I don’t suppose they’re afraid of letting some gamers who would have a look at this and suppose, ‘Am I on the bubble right here?’ Be slightly bit uncomfortable. I don’t suppose 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 must 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 slightly bit. And I feel that’s their plan. Once more, you might get supply. You say, we received to take this. I feel they’re fascinated with making their camp slightly extra aggressive, and so we’ll see the place that goes.”

Bukauskas: “Had 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 yr?”

Friedman: “I simply suppose the choices had been restricted. I feel the, as we mentioned final week, it didn’t profit him to sit down out. And I’m speaking about this as a man who’s actually cussed, like I’m, a very annoyingly cussed human being.

So I get the place Robinson is coming from, however typically you simply must take the knee and conceive defeat. You bend the knee, like they mentioned on Recreation 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 mentioned, alright, I’m coming and I’ll do that. So I feel he did the fitting factor. I don’t suppose it was very simple to persuade him, however I feel that he did the fitting 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 effectively, everybody wins. He wins because it units himself up into place. The staff wins as a result of Robertson is taking part in nice. So there’s, there’s an enormous profit for everybody concerned right here to make this work.

NHL News: Remaining RFAs, Red Wings, Bruins, Senators, Capitals, Okposo, and New NHL Rules

I additionally suppose Kyle, , typically groups get pushed round by gamers after they have the leverage. So when a staff thinks it has the leverage, typically they prefer to push again. and I feel that undoubtedly occurred with Robertson.”