Connor Hellebuyck’s suspension has opened a strange little window, and the Maple Leafs may be one of the teams best positioned to stare through it.
Winnipeg’s decision to suspend the goaltender after he failed to report to training camp has turned a holdout into a messy standoff. The feeling around the situation is clear enough: Hellebuyck’s stance is designed to put pressure on the Jets to move him.
Winnipeg, though, is not rushing anywhere. Reports have already pointed to offers that have been light for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
That’s where Toronto enters the conversation. The Leafs are not being forced into anything, and that matters.
With Sergei Bobrovsky set to go in goal, Toronto can afford to wait and watch while other teams chase Winnipeg’s asking price. Buffalo is effectively out after using the most valuable assets it had to land Hellebuyck at the draft.
Carolina has been mentioned, but there does not appear to be a major appetite from the Stanley Cup champs to make the deal. New Jersey could have the kind of pieces Winnipeg would want, but the Devils do not sound eager to pay up for the gold-medal winner.
Toronto, by contrast, can sit on its hands and let the market work for it. John Chayka does not have to force the issue. If the price keeps sliding, the Leafs could be the team ready to jump when the timing finally makes sense.
There is another layer to this, too: the possibility that Winnipeg eventually decides to terminate Hellebuyck’s contract. Because the holdout is technically a breach, the Jets would have a case for tearing up the deal. That would be the nuclear option, and it would also be a gift to Hellebuyck, who would then be free to hit the market as a UFA.
If it ever got that far, Toronto would have a real shot to make its case. The Leafs would still be a long shot, but a strong start could help convince the 33-year-old that Toronto has the look of a contender this season. In that scenario, signing with the Maple Leafs would not be far-fetched at all.
For now, though, this is all speculation. The chatter has Colorado as the stunning favorite to land Hellebuyck. But the market is still fluid, and that leaves room for another team, including the Leafs, to move into the picture if the situation keeps unraveling.
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Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Goalie Concern Entering Camp
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For a player with an injury history, the concern is not just about size for size's sake, but how that size translates to agility and joint stress over a long season. This camp matters for Stolarz and for the Leafs, too, because it is a chance to sharpen his conditioning before the games count and to ease some of the questions that follow him into the season. [Read more 🡒]