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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs who practised at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Tuesday. 

Mitch Marner would prefer not to talk about his contractual status in the media, but because of Brad Marchand the topic was front and centre after Tuesday’s practice. Earlier in the day, the pesky Boston Bruins winger responded to a couple tweets by the NHL public relations account detailing Marner’s latest exploits.  

“I cant wait to see this kids new deal," Marchand wrote on the social media website, "12m AAV?? It better be #Marnerwatch."

 

Marner, who hasn’t faced any contract questions since his agent Darren Ferris made waves in the wake of the Auston Matthews extension, was amused to see your humble correspondent with the tweet on his phone as the media session opened. 

"You're reading the tweet, eh?" the 21-year-old said. "You full blown have the tweet up and reading it."

Marchand set the bait and, yes, some reporters couldn't help but take it. Marner stuck to the script as much as possible. 

"Yeah, it’s cool," he said of the tweet. "You know, not really focused on it too much. I've said it before, that’s why you have an agent, let him and (GM) Kyle (Dubas) talk about that stuff."

Marner said he hasn't met Marchand outside of on the ice in a game. So, is there any frustration that Marchand would weigh in on his business? 

"No, I mean, like I said, it's cool, but, at the same time, I'm not really worrying about it too much, not looking into it too much."

Matthews, meanwhile, insisted he had not seen the tweet. After hearing the details he smiled. 

"You must’ve loved that tweet, Mark," he said with a grin. "My goodness."

Matthews has endured his share of contract-related questions this season.

"I don’t know what you want me to say … As far as the tweet, I mean, it's pretty funny. I’m sure, like you said, kind of half and half there with stirring the pot and a lot of truth behind it."

Just like in the playoffs last spring when Marchand licked Leo Komarov, the Leafs aren't quite sure what to make of the supremely talented Bruins winger, who seems to revel in being an agitator. 

"Well, that's Marchy’s personality," said John Tavares, who played with Marchand at the 2016 World Cup. "I mean, realistically, it’s really got no effect on anything. Knowing Brad a little bit through my times playing with him, that’s a little bit of his personality ... it's really nothing you worry about. It's something you chuckle at and just move forward."

"It's just him being him," agreed Nazem Kadri. "He likes to make those controversial comments, but it is what it is. I think he appreciates the talent Mitch has and so do a lot of people."

The Leafs and Bruins appear to be on a collision course for another playoff showdown. They won’t face off again in the regular season, but Marchand is still finding a way to stir the pot. 

"It would be fun," said Kadri of the potential rematch. "It's hard not to kind of look into the future and see what things could be come late April."

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Kadri was a full participant in practice for the first time since sustaining a concussion on Feb. 19. 

"I feel good," he said. “I think with the protocol, the medical staff and I have done a pretty good job of assessing the situation and re-evaluating every single day. It’s been a bit of a process, but I like the progression."

Any timeline for his return? 

"It's day-by-day. Progression's been great. I’ve been feeling better each and every single day and that’s exactly what you want. The medical staff has done a great job in working with me and I think I’ve taken the steps forward in order to make a comeback, obviously, sooner than later.”

"We’ll talk to the trainers tomorrow," said coach Mike Babcock. "What we do after a practice like this, even though he’s feeling good, we see how he feels in the morning and then we’ll talk to our medical people and our medical people will let us know what’s going on."

Kadri had not spoken to the media since absorbing a crushing hit from Blues defenceman Vince Dunn in the first period in St. Louis two weeks ago.

"I remember exactly what happened," Kadri said. "It was a clean bodycheck, a good hit. There really wasn’t much of an option. I was cutting through the middle and I knew he was there, I just had no place to go so it was a good hit. I got up, I just felt like I wasn’t myself through the next couple of shifts and decided to pull the plug from there."

Kadri has been taking part in Toronto’s morning skates during the last week while also getting pushed hard in some conditioning skates afterwards. How’s his conditioning? 

"It's good," he said. "Yeah, I've had a few hard skates (smiles) and they haven’t been the most fun thing to do in the world, but it’s part of the process. And coming back, especially when it comes to the upper-body and the head it’s important to not feel those symptoms especially after hard skates and I’ve been feeling pretty good so we’re going to re-evaluate tomorrow morning and see how I feel."

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The Leafs signed Garret Sparks to a one-year contract extension on Tuesday with an average annual value of $750,000. The 25-year-old backup goalie is one of the longest-serving members of the organization having been drafted by Toronto in 2011. 

"The consistency and peace of mind it’s given me to be able to create a life in Toronto and not have to worry about changing scenery every year or chasing the next contract or chasing money or anything like that, it’s just been all about the hockey the entire time," he told a group of reporters including Leafs Nation Network. 

After being named the AHL's top goalie last season, Sparks has posted a 7-5-1 record with a .902 save percentage in his first full year as an NHL backup. 

"It's been emotionally taxing, I won't lie," he admitted. "It's been a tough year, but I think it’s made me a better athlete and a better goaltender. I’d rather go through this stuff now then, you know, in a portion of your career where you’re being relied on as a starter. It’s amazing to be able to come here and deal with success and struggle and triumph ultimately. I’m just looking forward to continue playing this year and have a few more good starts and keep building something."

Sparks, who missed time earlier in the season with a concussion, has seen nine of his 14 starts come in the second half of a back-to-back situation. 

"He's just got to grow his craft, that's the biggest thing," said Babcock. "Every day they let you stay in the league is a good day and you just keep improving and if you improve enough you get to stay for a long period of time. It’s evident, when you look around the league, it’s hard to be a goaltender in the National Hockey League, it’s hard to be a good one and so his priorities are just keep working, build his skill base so his confidence grows and he becomes a real good goaltender."

The Leafs have just three back-to-back sets remaining so Sparks may not see the net a lot down the stretch. 

"For me, it's just about continuing to work towards something with this team and this organization," Sparks said. "It's somewhere I’ve been since Day 1 and I really didn’t have any interest in going anywhere else."

After scoring while playing left wing in his Leafs debut on Saturday, Nic Petan sat as a healthy scratch on Monday in Calgary. But the recently-acquired forward may be back in Wednesday against the Canucks. Petan skated between Tyler Ennis and Trevor Moore at Tuesday's practice, which means Frederik Gauthier may be the odd man out. 

"I don't know if I’m doing that for sure, to be honest with you," he said. "Goat [Gauthier] gives us a real good defensive guy with guys who aren’t really that defensive and they end up on the positive side of the ledger each night. I haven't decided what we're doing. That's how we practised here today so just looking at our options."

Gauthier hasn't been scratched since sitting out a pair of games Dec. 15 and 18. Whatever happens it seems unlikely Moore is going anywhere. He picked up another two assists against the Flames to go along with his beauty setup of Petan on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. 

"Tenacious," observed Babcock after the game Monday, "heavy on the puck, does it right, wants to stay, plays like he wants to stay, doesn't turn it over, all the details in his game. I thought he was really good."

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Lines at Tuesday’s practice:

Forwards
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Kapanen
Marleau-Nylander-Brown
Ennis-Petan-Moore
Kadri, Gauthier 

Defencemen
Rielly-Hainsey
Muzzin-Zaitsev
Marincin-Ozhiganov
Holl

Goaltenders
Andersen
Sparks 

Power play units at Tuesday’s practice: 

Rielly
Matthews-Johnsson-Marner
Tavares 

Muzzin
Ennis-Petan-Nylander
Marleau