If you are a fan of the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche or the Toronto Maple Leafs you are free to pull your hair our, or what’s left of it after this off season.
The three clubs have notable restricted free agents who remain unsigned.
In Boston, Tory Krug seems interested in remaining in Boston, but the absence of any contract talks between his agent and the club may wear those feelings thin.
“Nope, nothing,” Krug said this week. “Maybe a little surprise nothing has been talked about, but I realize that our team is in a different situation.”
The coming season is the last of a four-year deal that was reported at $21 million.
The Bruins have placed much of their summer efforts on two other RFAs in the lineup, Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo.
“I understand we have two guys who need to be signed, and that can have big effects on our (NHL salary) cap situation moving forward, and our boss has to deal with that,” Krug said. “Of course I wish there was dialogue and some sort of call or something like that. It’s just nonexistent.
“I’ve put together a resume I’m very comfortable with and happy about. And trust me, I’m not saying I feel disrespected or anything. It’s just part of the situation.”
Punching up that resume will make everyone feel so much better.
Staying in the ‘I want to play here’ camp, we move to Denver where Mikko Rantanen has said he wants to stay in Colorado and play with the Avs.
But it never hurts to drop a name around.
“Whether that team got in touch, it’s better to check with my agent. I personally haven’t heard anything,” Rantanen told the website in comments translated by NHL.com. “The only option for me is the NHL. And you never know what the future holds.”
That quote came from a rumor that the Kontinental Hockey League’s AK Bars had dangled an offer to Rantanen’s agent.
“We haven’t had much dialogue since the [2019 NHL] Draft but camp’s coming around so there’ll be pressure on both sides,” Avs general manager Joe Sakic said. “Looking forward to the opportunity to have Mikko back, and I’m sure he’ll be back here.”
Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Mitchell Marner saga drags on there seems to be no solution coming any time soon.
The Maple Leafs open camp soon and Marner and the club have not been talking, anyone, including each other.
“I’ve talked to him a bit this summer,” Auston Matthews said Thursday in Chicago. “I mean, not really anything about the whole contract situation, just about different things. I mean, that’s really about it. I’m just kind of letting him do his thing; obviously, it’s really none of my business. Let that process work itself out.”
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said he does not want to see anyone miss training camp, but there is still no movement and no news.
The Leafs should not want to see a repeat of the William Nylander last year when he sat out and returned rusty and ineffective.
Rumors around Toronto suggest any deal with Marner will be north of $10 million per year, but the deal will be short-term to wait for the salary cap hike to come in maybe two years.
You must be logged in to post a comment.