Leafs officially inform pending UFA that they want him back in Toronto next season; now it's about finding a number that works
The Leafs have a lot of work ahead this summer, with a number of pending UFAs and RFAs in need of new deals. With the future of Kyle Dubas currently up in the air, it's really anyone's guess if he'll look to lock up a few key pending UFAs and RFAs before he departs (if he does decide to leave) or if he plans to wait for a new contract before he gets to work on next year's roster.
Per Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs are reportedly keen on bringing back defenseman Luke Schenn and have informed the veteran defenseman of their intentions to try and sign him.
As far as finding a number that works, Schenn is coming off of a deal that paid him just $850K last season. With how well he played in Toronto, it's likely that he'll be looking for a bit of a pay bump, but since we do already know that he loves playing in Toronto, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could agree to take a bit less to remain with the Leafs.
Schenn was 2nd on the Leafs in hits in the postseason to only Noel Acciari, who has also expressed an interest in returning to Toronto next season. If the Buds can find a way to lock these two guys up this summer, the Leafs will continue to be a difficult team to play against, as both Florida and Tampa alluded to following the conclusions of their series against the Leafs.
