from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- In the imagination of Kyle Dubas, the general manager still foresees a Maple Leafs defence with Jake Gardiner taking a regular shift.

The reality, well, that gets in the way of his vision.

Dubas adores the puck-moving, first-passing, quick-skating defencemen, which is why he would love to have Gardiner playing on a defence that includes Morgan Rielly, Tyson Barrie, Travis Dermott and Jake Muzzin. He believes that is the future and the present of the NHL game.

Problem, of course, is that the salary cap gets in the way and there is still Mitch Marner to be signed before his other ideas can be addressed....

- One of my favourite funny dressing room confrontations came when Phil Kessel got mad at Leafs’ reporter Jonas Siegel and called him a rat after he reported how many days Kessel had gone without speaking to the media. Years ago, Leafs coach Joe Crozier had so strong a dislike for the Globe’s Al Strachan that he wouldn’t talk with Strachan around. “There’s a smell around here,” he’d announce. “I’m not talking until the smell is gone.”

- I know the backlog of NHL restricted free agents exists but, really, what does Mitch Marner’s contract negotiations have to do with those of Brock Boeser, Charlie McAvoy, Matt Tkachuk or Patrik Laine. I see where Mikko Rantanen and Marner have comparables. But not with most of the other RFAs.

more on the first topic plus a few other hockey notes...