Like most NHL general managers, newly appointed Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has a busy few weeks ahead of him.
With the draft and free agency looming, Dubas was asked about his plans for pending unrestricted free-agent forwards James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Leo Komarov.
"The door is always open," Dubas said Saturday, according to the Canadian Press. "We're evaluating where things are."
The success of some prospects already on Toronto's depth chart this season, such as AHL playoff MVP Andreas Johnsson, gives Dubas the luxury of not having to force a deal, and helps relieve any pressure to re-sign one of the aforementioned veterans.
"I don't think I have to do anything big, just to do so," Dubas said. "That would be a disservice to the organization, frankly. It's not about me. It's about the players and the coaches.
"If what people describe as a 'big splash' happens to make our team a lot better then we'll do it, but it's not something that important to me at all."
Bozak is one of the best faceoff men in the game (53.6 career win percentage). Van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, is coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 36 goals, and Komarov is a leader committed to playing with a physical edge. Any member of the trio that hits the open market on July 1 should attract interest.
