Media speculation has tied the Toronto Maple Leafs to forward Dillon Dube, but general manager Brad Treliving said Wednesday that signing any of the five players acquitted in the London hockey trial is not currently a focus for the team.
Treliving was general manager of the Calgary Flames when the team selected Dube in the second round of the 2016 draft, which has led to speculation the two could reunite in Toronto.
“You’d have to be very comfortable,” Treliving said of adding of any of the five players. “I heard there was some noise out there... We’re not focused on that right now... We’d have to go through a process with everything that happened.”
“Our focus is on the 73 players here,” Treliving added. “Yes, I know Dillon, but you have to be in a very comfortable situation to think about that, and that’s not our focus.”
The NHL announced earlier this month that it is reinstating the five players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canada’s world junior team, and that they will be eligible to sign a contract Oct. 15 and take part in games Dec. 1.
Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were all found not guilty by a judge in London, Ont. The National Hockey League said in a statement following the verdict on July 24 by Justice Maria Carroccia that even though the players were found not guilty, their actions were “unacceptable”, and the players were ineligible to return to the league while it reviewed the decision.
Four of the players (Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod) were playing in the NHL until charges were announced during the 2023-24 season and are currently unrestricted free agents. Formenton has been out of the league since 2022 and rejoined Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta earlier in September.
Dube, selected by the Flames in the second round of the 2016 draft, has 57 goals and 127 points in 325 career games, all with Calgary. He scored 18 goals in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, with a career-high 45 points in 2022-23.
The 27-year-old forward had three goals and seven points in 43 games during the 2023-24 before being charged. He played in 42 games with the KHL’s Minsk Dynamo last season, posting four goals and 11 points.
Leafs eyeing a top-six forward
While Dube is not currently on Treliving’s radar, the general manager admitted Wednesday he is looking to add to his forward group after failing to find a significant addition in free agency after losing Mitch Marner.
“It’s not from a lack of trying,” Treliving said. “You’re always looking to try to improve your team. I think league-wide, it was a slower summer…
“We would like to add a top-six forward.”
The Maple Leafs acquired forwards Matias Maccelli, Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua in trades this off-season and Treliving noted Maccelli could be an option to play alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the team’s top line. Returning forward Max Domi, who is day-to-day to start camp with a lower-body injury, could also slot in there, Treliving said.
Stolarz extension talks continue
Treliving said there’s nothing to announce at the moment, but the team is continuing to hold extension talks with pending unrestricted free agent Anthony Stolarz.
Stolarz is entering the second and final season of a two-year, $5 million contract signed with Toronto last summer.
“We’re hopeful to get to a good outcome,” Treliving said of negotiations with the goaltender. “I’m confident, until proven otherwise, that we can find something that’ll work.”
The 31-year-old had a 21-8-3 record in his first season with Toronto, posting a .926 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average. He was 4-2 in the playoffs before being knocked out the team’s second-round series against the Florida Panthers due to a concussion.
Despite missing time during the regular season with a knee injury, the 34 games played were a career-high for Stolarz. A second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012, he has a career record of 64-39-12 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.54 GAA.
“Stolarz likes being a member of the Maple Leafs and the Maple Leafs see great value in the tandem of Stolarz and Joseph Woll. So, they’re working on it," TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger explained Tuesday on Insider Trading.
“Again, no timeline here but I wouldn’t be surprised if they get something done before the start of the year. But I wouldn’t look beyond and say, ‘Okay, if they don’t get something done before the start of the season, is there a problem?’
“The Maple Leafs believe that they might be able to get both these goaltenders locked down for at least the next couple of years for just over $8 million total.
“The comparables for Stolarz, I would look at Kevin Lankanen with the Vancouver Canucks, who is on a five-year, $22.5 million contract. There’s also Karel Vajmelka of the Utah Mammoth, who is at $23.75 million on a five-year package.
“So, there’s still some work to be done between Stolarz and the Leafs.”
Woll is signed through the 2027-28 season at a cap hit of $3.67 million. He went 27-14-1 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.73 GAA last season. He was 3-4 in the playoffs with a .886 save percentage and a 3.56 GAA.
The Maple Leafs will open their preseason on Sept. 21 against the Ottawa Senators, with their regular-season opener set for Oct. 8 against the Montreal Canadiens.
