In today’s NHL rumors rundown, John Tavares told the media on Tuesday that he’s optimistic a deal will get done, but isn’t sure until the deal is finalized. Meanwhile, Mitch Marner says it’s too soon to discuss his future and has some conversations ahead with his wife. Anthony Stolarz confirmed he suffered a concussion in the series with Florida, while Max Pacioretty says he needs time to figure out if he’ll be back in the NHL next season. Finally, why did the Boston Bruins give Don Sweeney a two-year extension?
Tavares Optimistic About Deal with Maple Leafs
As per Pierre LeBrun, “John Tavares says he spoke with Leafs GM Brad Treliving today and he’s optimistic that maybe he will be back perhaps. But obviously none of that is for sure at this point.” Speculation is that Tavares is willing to take a discount to stay with Toronto, but there is chatter that Toronto may be preparing to lowball Tavares to see how willing he is to stick around.
Marner Says Too Soon For Decision on Future
Mitch Marner says things are still too fresh after losing Game 7 to know what’s next in his NHL career. LeBrun reports that Marner told the media he isn’t ready yet to comment on his future. “Needs to sit down with his wife and discuss it all over next couple of weeks.”
According to Chris Johnston on The Chris Johnston Show, Marner ran into some issues this season with fans, some of whom crossed a line and escalated into borderline harassment. Johnston explained that things started during his last contract negotiation:
“And, you know, Mitch gave interviews at that time, said it was the first time he’d ever been yelled at. He was walking his dog once, and some guy that summer was yelling like, “Why don’t you have a contract?” And people started talking a lot about his dad and what role his dad may or may not have played in those negotiations… And Mitch kind of bristled at his family being brought into it. And then on top of that, in the six years that followed, when the playoff success wasn’t there, you know, a lot of it was aimed his way.”
Anthony Stolarz Had a Concussion
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz confirmed he was concussed on the play with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett. The Bennett elbow knocked him out of the series and he didn’t return before the Leafs were ultimately eliminated. “He just caught me in a bad spot.”
Stolarz doesn’t believe the puck off his mask has anything to do with it.
Pacioretty Hints at Retirement
LeBrun reports that forward Max Pacioretty says this season was very difficult one for him and the he missed being away from his family. The veteran wants to go home and discuss his future with family. “Isn’t sure yet what his future looks like as to whether he will keep playing or not.”
If Pacioretty retires, he’ll have ended his NHL career with 335 goals and 681 points. He played parts of 13 seasons, making runs with the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Maple Leafs.
Bruins Extend Don Sweeney as GM
The Boston Bruins gave Don Sweeney an extension as general manager on Tuesday. According to the team’s official website announcement. LeBrun notes, “Sweeney’s current deal was expiring after next season. Bruins tacked on two more years to bring him through 2027-28 season.”
There was some chatter that part of the reason the Bruins did this was because they were having a hard time finding a new coach, and uncertainty surrounding who would be GM was causing hesitation by leading candidates. Rick Tocchet was said to have declined the job because he wasn’t confident that the organization would make changes if the GM position hadn’t been dealt with first.
It’s an interesting twist, as Cam Neely had previously said that this coming season would be a real indicator for the organization. That’s not the case now.
