An interesting rumour had surfaced recently, linking the Toronto Maple Leafs to hometown boy P.K. Subban, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
While the move may have checked some boxes for Toronto, (right-shot defenseman who plays with intensity, wins puck battles and has a booming point shot), the matter of Subban's $9M cap hit would have been tough for Toronto to fit in, even with some salary retention.
On Thursday, Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas took some time to, in a round-about way, address the Subban to Toronto rumour during an appearance on The Bob McCown Podcast.
"I could definitively say that we have not thought a single thing about any player that's going to be a free agent a year from now," Dubas said on the podcast.
Of course, we have a long season ahead of us, and if Dubas and company can find away to accrue some cap space over the course of the season, perhaps a deal for Subban makes more sense at the deadline. For now, however, this appears to be just another offseason rumour.
-