MONTREAL – Kyle Dubas was suddenly the most popular boy in the school.
Releasing the Toronto Maple Leafs from the $ 3.8 million paycheck that Petr Mrazek incurred Thursday night on the NHL Draft court, Dubas cut a very open spot for a No. 1 goalkeeper and now has the funds to fill that gap.
All you have to do now is select a dance partner.
“After making the deal last night and having more space, all the teams that had someone came to us this morning,” the Toronto general manager said after day 2 of the draft.
“There seems to be a bigger surplus in this (commercial) market than in the free agency. But usually there is also something you have to pay in this regard. Therefore, only the cost is measured compared to what we hope to get from the goalkeeper “.
Dubas is playing on the field, examining the landscape.
Write a goalkeeper who has been removed from the availability list this week: Alexandar Georgiev, Vitek Vanecek, Ville Husso, Casey DeSmith, Marc-Andre Fleury, Craig Anderson, Scott Wedgewood and Toronto had thrown tires.
Until the free agency arrives on Wednesday, Dubas has exclusive rights to negotiate with his own pending UFA, Jack Campbell, but he is certainly investigating all other options.
“We’re looking at everyone. So it’s safe to say that everyone who moved, everyone who was changed, everyone who was changed and signed or signed with their own team were on our list. So “We just need a situation where there is a clear surplus and it starts to get smaller. We believe that our situation should be attractive to a goalkeeper, and we will count on that as we move forward and measure the market.” dir Dubas.
Toronto has company in an aggressive game of musical chairs, as several teams will bid for the services of Campbell and his UFA teammate Darcy Kuemper, whose bargaining rights Colorado GM Joe Sakic had been willing to deal with. a selection.
The names Jake Allen, Matt Murray, John Gibson continue to circulate in the commercial factory.
And then there was the fact that Dubas had several conversations on the project with Minnesota GM Bill Guerin on Friday.
Cam Talbot’s agent, George Bazos, met with Guerin on Friday, following Fleury’s two-year extension. (Fleury expects a 50/50 split with Talbot.)
“We both declared our positions,” Bazos told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic by text message. “Billy has a lot to think about.”
Guerin’s response, through Wild beat journalist Michael Russo: “I have nothing to do. Cam Talbot has a contract. George can say whatever he wants. My team is set up right now, and that’s how it goes. We can having all the discussions we want. Cam is a member of our team. We really like Cam. All we’re trying to do is win. “
Ditto the Leafs, who desperately need the right goalkeeper to do it.
“My phone isn’t working right now, so it’s great that everyone was here,” Dubas said. “You have a good idea of where the market is, where it’s going and who’s available, what the cost of the trade will be. And now we’ll work on our own situation with Jack. And then, if he gets to that point, we’ll work with the situation with the remaining free agents.
“We like the options we have available, both our internal options and the business options.”
Brian MacLellan says he was equally open to negotiating Vitek Vanecek or Ilya Samsonov (both FRGs). Vanecek in New Jersey was the deal that worked.
Washington is now immersed in a competitive goalkeeping market along with Edmonton and Toronto. Open to UFA or shops.
– luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) July 8, 2022
Dubas characterizes the Leafs as still in the “information gathering stage,” but Edmonton, Washington and Buffalo are looking for the same goals.
“A team or a goalkeeper may be left without a place, or a place that neither the team nor the goalkeeper want so much,” Dubas said, thinking about his decision from Mrazek last summer.
“We signed Petr. Colorado, when his goalkeeper [Philipp Grubauer] signed with Seattle, they left at the end (of the free agency) and then chose to pay the price (in the Kuemper trade). And he ended up giving them pretty good. Therefore, there is always this option “.
Dubas is playing a little hard to get here. The general manager believes that what he can offer in number of initiates and the opportunity to play behind a dynamic offensive (yes, goalkeepers love his career support) puts him in a decent place, despite the list of increasingly reduced candidates.
“Depending on who you talk to, they may think (a trade) is closer. But from our perspective, we’re a team that obviously has an open space. So excess teams can feel like things are very close. with us when we are only examining all the options, ”Dubas said.
“We will do our best to put our team in the best place and build it the way we need to.”
Prepare the popcorn.