NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs – Mark Giordano and Jason Spezza

Dubas may think big but it doesn’t mean he’ll make a huge trade

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Believe that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas will be thinking big, and that likely doesn’t include Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner, and it doesn’t mean that he’ll be able to pull off some huge trade. He’ll see what is out there.

On Mark Giordano

Joshua Kloke of The Athletic: Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano will talk to his agent about the possibility of coming back next season.

“Everyone knows I’m from Toronto, I love it here,” said Giordano. “I’ve loved my time here. So we’ll see what happens. I’ll talk to my agent here in the next week. It’s still pretty fresh, the loss, but I’ll talk to him and go from there. And, obviously, I don’t think it’s a secret that I enjoyed my time here.”

The 38-year-old still thinks he has a couple of years left in him.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Believe the Maple Leafs have spoken with Mark Giordano about coming back at a lower salary.

On Jason Spezza

David Alter: GM Dubas said that he planned to speak with Jason Spezza yesterday to talk about what the future may hold for him and report back.

Terry Koshan: Spezza said that he was unsure about his playing future and adds that he would only play for the Maple Leafs next season.

Joshua Kloke of The Athletic: The Maple Leafs need to get younger and more offense from the fourth-line, which brings question marks for Spezza, Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Clifford.

“This is the only place I would play,” said. “So, the conversations will happen over the coming days and weeks.”

GM Dubas on Spezza.

“It’s hard to really, sitting here, fully describe the impact that (Spezza) has had on the team positively,” said Dubas. “Obviously, his contributions to the roster, but in the locker room, in the summer, the time he puts in with every single young player from the day he’s arrived, he’s a special person. So I think there would probably be 31 teams other than us that would have an interest in having him be a part of it in some way.”

If Spezza took a player development role within the Maple Leafs, he could be on the ice and around the team all the time.