from Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star,

Mincing Gorges apart, the two most dramatic re-lo announcements in the hockey universe last week — Kesler and Spezza — had nothing to do with the cracking open of free agency season.

Leafs were a spectator to the trade events involving these rather whiny me-first players, starry as they may be. In any event, top line centres are not what they covet or need, though some might argue a more coach-able second-line pivot than Nazem Kadri wouldn’t be a bad idea. And perhaps Joffrey Lupul, whose numbers last year reflected the drag of laboring alongside poor-fit linemates, would say so most vocally, if spilling his guts.

The trade winds will likely now settle down into summer doldrums.

“The big money moves either early or late,” said Nonis. “I don’t think we’ll see those types of trades again until maybe closer to training camp.”

So, for those anxiously awaiting some significant announcement on the Dion Phaneuf front, take the rest of the summer to chill out. The interest expressed by a few teams earlier in the year, from trade deadline through mid-June, has waned, if primarily because Nonis was unimpressed with what was being offered in exchange.

more