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The Toronto Maple Leafs had a quiet day Wednesday in their attempt to fill out their roster through free agency, but they remain in the hunt for Swedish defenceman Jonas Frogren.
Two sources confirmed that the Leafs are smitten with the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder with Farjestads BK, who played for Sweden at the IIHF world championship in Quebec and Halifax this past spring.
Frogren was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the eighth round in 1998, when Al Coates, the Leafs new director of player personnel, was the Flames' general manager.
“It's not a current NHL player,” is all Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher would say Wednesday when asked who the Leafs have on their radar.
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Frogren, who turns 28 on Aug. 28, was a Farjestads teammate of the highly sought-after Fabian Brunnstrom, who signed with the Dallas Stars a few months ago. Frogren played for Sweden at the 2000 world junior championship, but did not play again for Sweden until a few months ago.
He's definitely not an offensive threat with only 20 goals and 46 points in 398 career games in the Swedish Elitserien, but is said to make a good first pass.
Under former GM John Ferguson the Leafs made a pitch to former Toronto defenceman Kenny Jonsson to make a return to the NHL. But he was comfortable remaining in Sweden and finishing his career there.
If the Leafs are successful in signing Frogren, where does this leave the beleaguered Bryan McCabe? Excluding McCabe, the Leafs already have seven defenceman (Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina, Anton Stralman, Jeff Finger, Staffan Kronwall, Carlo Colaiacovo and Ian White) under contract, plus prospect Luke Schenn.
“[McCabe] may or may not be back up with us next year,” Fletcher said. “Right now it's up in the air.”
McCabe has a no-movement clause in his deal, which has three years remaining. He is not open to a trade and said through his agent that if the Leafs don't want him, they should have bought him out during the buyout period last month.
Fletcher said the team would not tell McCabe to stay at home and collect his pay.
“We would never do that,” said Fletcher, who added that if McCabe continues his firm stance on not wanting to be traded, the defenceman will attend training camp.
Toronto did not make an offer for Sean Avery, who landed in Dallas with a four-year, $15.5-million (all currency U.S.) contract Wednesday.
The Leafs were interested in former Calgary Flames forward Kristian Huselius, but the Columbus Blue Jackets signed him late Wednesday night for $19-million over four years.
And, after much speculation, Joe Nieuwendyk, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Flames, Stars and New Jersey Devils, will join the Leafs' front office next week.
