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Between now and the NHL Draft, there are a number of factors that could affect the direction that the Toronto Maple Leafs take in regards to the club for next season. Arguably the most important decision is between the pipes, where the club appears to be ready to move on from Jack Campbell, based on his rumored price tag as an unrestricted free agent, and the speculation that GM Kyle Dubas will look to either trade or buyout Petr Mrazek one year into his three-year, $11.4 million deal.
Late last week, TSN’s Chris Johnston speculated that the Leafs could be interested in two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray, possibly after being bought out by Ottawa or in a trade if the Sens retained salary or took back a contract like Mrazek in the deal. On Monday, Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga reported that Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson has informed the club that he would be open to being dealt.
These are two risky options based on Murray’s injury history and the cost and commitment to Gibson with five years left on an eight-year max deal. If Dubas does not go in either direction, the paths available to him are free agency or to trade for a goalie with a lesser term left on his deal. One possible option is veteran goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
The 34-year-old has 560 games of NHL experience with Washington, Colorado and New York missed the early part of last season recovering from off-season knee surgery, but played 31 games as a backup to Ilya Sorokin with the Isles, going 10-17-2, with a 2.91 GAA and .911 save percentage.
Although his days as a primary starter may be past, Varlamov has playoff experience and could be well suited as a tandem partner during the regular season. The Islanders have Sorokin as their primary starter and might be willing to retain a portion of his $5 million salary to move him with a year left on his deal. The veteran Russian has a 16-team no-trade list and reportedly blocked a trade to Edmonton before the deadline, but there is no way to know whether he has Toronto on his list of destinations he is not willing to go to.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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