from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

There were rumours that the Florida Panthers wanted James van Riemsdyk in exchange for the No. 1 pick in this weekend’s draft. But the core of the Leafs remains off-limits for now. And help is not necessarily on the way either.

According to president Brendan Shanahan, “I don’t think July 1st is ever a great day to rely upon.” That being said, Shanahan wants to bring back David Bolland and reportedly has interest in signing 42-year-old Martin Brodeur to share the net with Jonathan Bernier.

And yet, management is somehow hopeful for a different outcome next season.

The Leafs are banking on young players, like Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly, to take another step forward and assume more responsibility. They expect that the Toronto Marlies, who advanced to the Calder Cup semi-final, will fill bottom-six roles at a bargain price. And they believe that the coaching staff, which will once again include Carlyle and as-yet-to-be-named new assistant coaches, will coax this team to be more competitive.

It’s a lot to ask. It’s maybe a little unrealistic. But the people in charge are under the assumption that this team’s problems are not as big as others suggest.

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