Will Jacob Trouba sign long-tern with the Winnipeg Jets?
Winnipeg Free Press: Mike McIntyre reports all signs may be pointing to an eventual, inevitable exit, but Winnipeg Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba isn’t ruling out a long-term future in Winnipeg despite being unable to strike such a deal this summer.
Trouba, 24, spoke publicly this past weekend for the first time since he was awarded a one-year, $5.5-million contract in early July. He was specifically asked whether a lengthy extension with the Jets is now unlikely. “No, after this year we’ll sit down and we’ll go over it again. And do the same thing we did, whatever, after every contract. Go back and kind of reassess things and see where you are and make the best decision.”
Trouba will again be a restricted free agent next summer. However, the Jets would control his services for only one more season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. That means a potential trade could be on the horizon if he isn’t locked up long-term, as the Jets won’t want to risk losing him for nothing.
Josh Leivo hopes to remain a Toronto Maple Leaf
The Toronto Sun: Lance Hornby reports Josh Leivo has no wish to lead the team in practice versus game time again. He was protected in the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft and signed to a one-year $925,000 extension early last season. But his anticipated chance never came, with Kasperi Kapanen passing him on the depth chart.
Word was Leivo’s handlers were pushing for a trade late last season, but he intends to make it harder than ever for general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Mike Babcock to ignore him in the coming weeks.
Early July saw the official departures of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Matt Martin, rent-a-player Tomas Plekanec and likely Dominic Moore. That should have the trickle-down effect of creating bottom-six openings, though Leivo won’t be the only one fighting for a spot.
