Leafs Watch

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun CHAT LINE: The Maple Leafs' pursuit of displaced Boston Bruins winger Dmitri Khristich, which began even before Mats Sundin fractured his right ankle, has not waned in the past few days.
"The bottom line is that we're trying to improve our team," Leafs executive Bill Watters said yesterday. "We're looking beyond the next four weeks (the minimum recovery time for Sundin).
"We've been talking to Larry Kelly (Khristich's agent) for two months. Unfortunately, it's the agent who is determining how much progress we're making."
The Leafs must offer Khristich more than $2.2 million US for this season to stop Boston from matching the offer, even though the Bruins walked away from the 71-point right winger after an arbitrator awarded him $2.95 million.
The Leafs' budget stands at $34 million to $35 million but the club is willing to stretch it.
IN GOOD HANDS: If Sundin misses 30 games with his ankle injury, a league plan called key-man insurance kicks in to pay 80% of his $7-million salary.
The policy covers the top five or six players on each team. But if Sundin recovers within the four- to six-week range, he would miss only about 20 games.
SAM-BONI: The Zamboni company is running a contest for the world's best driver of its ice-grooming machines and the Air Canada Centre is pumping veteran pilot Sam DeAngeles.
The 40-year member of the Gardens/Air Canada Centre crew once joked he has made enough circuits of the rink to drive the distance to his native Italy and back -- with no accidents.
To vote for DeAngeles, register on the Web site www.zamboni.com
CAPTAIN'S CREW: General manager/coach Pat Quinn does not intend to let anyone wear the captain's C while Sundin recuperates, preferring to make Dimitri Yushkevich a third alternate with Steve Thomas and Kris King. With King out of the lineup last night, Igor Korolev wore the other A.

Bert's back on blades
Blue Jays boot game
Bombers drop Peterson
Felicien rebuilds race

Visit our Polls Archive

SLAM! Sports SLAM! Galleries Help CANOE