Maple Leafs keeping their lines open

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun Caught in No-Mats Land for the next few weeks, the exposed Maple Leafs must get back to their lines.
The rescue plan began on several fronts yesterday: At practice where captain Sundin's understudies auditioned; on the phone, where the Leafs were getting more calls from applicants than they were sending out feelers; and in the boardroom where extra funds for a free agent or a big contract via trade were made available if necessary.
"We're leaving it up to the coach and general manager (Pat Quinn)," Larry Tanenbaum of the Maple Leaf Sports And Entertainment Ltd. board said. "We look to any (budget) recommendations (the hockey office) makes."
Quinn said he's "learning about the budget as it goes," indicating he may stretch the self-imposed $34-million US limit if home-grown remedies can't be found. There was no shortage of interest in the Leafs' Sundin plight around the NHL yesterday. The 28-year-old centre suffered a fracture on the instep of his right ankle last Saturday that will keep him out four to six weeks.
"Every agent who represents a centre, including those who retired 10 years ago, have called me," Leafs executive Bill Watters said.
The Leafs have had discussions with Dmitri Khristich's agent, although nothing is any more advanced than last week regarding the unsigned winger. The Leafs would have to give Khristich more than $2.2 million US a season to prevent the Boston Bruins from matching the offer. The Leafs haven't been able to talk Robert Reichel's agent down from more than $3 million. Reichel is a restricted free agent.
Goaltender Curtis Joseph, the Leafs' other franchise player, didn't think the team would rise and fall on his shoulders during the coming weeks.
"Hopefully we're playing so well when Mats comes back that he's on the fourth line," Joseph said jokingly. "But if everyone in the starting lineup elevates their game 2% with Mats gone, that equals 40%. So when Mats does come back, maybe you're writing about how he's an even bigger addition to our Stanley Cup hopes."
After a night of mourning their leading scorer's ankle injury -- a pall which seemed to carry through Monday's sloppy 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators -- the Leafs regrouped at the Gardens to prepare for the Florida Panthers tonight at the Air Canada Centre. Sundin could miss as few as 13 games and as many as 20.
"This is just one of the little tests of adversity we're going to have this year," Sundin's first-line right winger Steve Thomas said.
In Sundin's usual spot between Jonas Hoglund and Thomas yesterday was Yanic Perreault, promoted from the third line. The line of Sergei Berezin, Igor Korolev and Garry Valk stayed intact.
Perreault has a knack for responding to new assignments. He won praise for his work as a replacement last spring for the injured Korolev and Alyn McCauley. Perreault has four assists in give games this season.
"I'm in great shape and I have to show them I can do the job," Perreault said.
Towering above the other candidates for fourth-line duty was 6-foot-5 Nikolai Antropov, who is set to make his NHL debut tonight. Quinn does not intend to put even more pressure on the King Kong Kazakh by handing him Sundin's job off the bat.
Antropov, who was called up from the St. John's farm team, had no points in his two games on the Rock. McCauley is questionable tonight because of a bruised shoulder.

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