The Toronto Maple Leafs could trade a goalie this offseason
Luke Fox of Sportsnet: The Toronto Maple Leafs have four goalies in their system signed for the next couple of seasons. Three are on one-way deals next year – Anthony Stolarz (32), Joseph Woll (27) and Dennis Hildeby (24). Artur Akhtyamov (24) just signed a three-year deal at 900,000 per, and will be on a one-way after next season.
Something will have to give. Rostering three goalies next year is far from ideal, and you don’t want to lose one of Stolarz, Woll or Hildby on waivers for nothing.
The goalie free agent market is topped by Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner, but both could be re-signed. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving can be patient as teams could come calling for Stolarz or Woll. Stolarz’s four-year, $15 million deal doesn’t kick in until July 1st, and he’ll have a 16-team no-trade list.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are waiting to talk extensions with some pending UFAs and their head coach until after the season
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic: The Columbus Blue Jackets have been on a run since they replaced Dean Evason with Rick Bowness. Bowness’ deal just runs through the rest of the season, and there haven’t been any talks beyond that. GM Don Waddell:
“Not one conversation about that. When I hired him, we agreed to talk at the end of the season, and we’ve stuck to that.”
Waddell met with pending UFAs Boone Jenner, Charlie Coyle and Erik Gudbranson over the Olympic break, and those talks will also wait until after the season.
“I had the players during the break ask me,” Waddell said. “And I told them the exact same thing: We’ll revisit it at the end of the year.”
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Waddell said they are chasing some college free agents, but won’t say who.
“There are a few guys we’re chasing. I don’t want to get into any names, but they’re guys we’ve been on top of since the start of the season, and we’ve had some calls with them and met with them. We’ll see where it goes.”
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