Update: General Manager Brian Burke attempted to downplay Grabovski trade rumors recently to the Toronto Star. “We’re not even close to that,” he said. “That will be a factor, whether a guy is unrestricted or not, but I accept unrestricted guys, too, if they can help us get to where we want to get.” Grabovski is currently has been hot of late with eight goals and 19 points in his last 19 games.

8:35 AM: Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke said he’d received inquiries about forward Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. That’s what he told Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman, which isn’t a huge surprise since those two are impending free agents and Burke is one of the General Managers in the league who talks a lot to the media about player transactions.

However, that also means Burke knows how to use the media to his advantage. The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau tweets, “When Brian Burke talks about trading Grabovski, it could be the truth, or it could be – SHOCKER! – a negotiating ploy.”

Grabovski is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and he’ll be looking for more than the $3.1 million he makes this season. There isn’t too much cap space left for next season, but Burke might want to save some money to add a high-end forward; there’s been rumors he’s highly interested in trading for Bobby Ryan, among others. So it’s possible Burke is sending the signal to Grabovski that they won’t break the bank to sign him.


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