Leafs watch

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun WEARY OF THE CHASE? Maple Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn, describing the Dmitri Khristich talks as being at "sort of an impasse," says he won't keep up this contractual dance with the right winger's agent, Larry Kelly.
"There comes a time to move on ... this can't drag on forever," Quinn said yesterday. "(Khristich) has good enough skill level to help our team, but we also have to forge ahead."
As it stands now, the Leafs must offer more than $2.24 million US a year to Khristich to block the Bruins from matching. The Leafs have made a three-year pitch at $2.25 million, but that has been turned down by Kelly.
"Salary is always a factor, but it's not the deciding one," Quinn said. "We have a (full) 23-man roster we have to think about. It doesn't help, keeping veterans around (and not playing or trading them)."
The Leafs likely are seeking another path to a deal; getting Boston to drop the salary barrier by trading some extra players to the Bruins as future considerations.
Leafs defenceman Dimitri Yushkevich endorsed his team's pursuit of Khristich.
"He could help out big time," Yushkevich said. "They play the trap in Boston, but Pat Quinn showed you can take those kinds of players here and have them score. (Khristich) is more North American than Russian now after (nine NHL seasons)."
Quinn also is leery of signing a restricted free agent such as Keith Primeau. The short-term gain is obvious, but the quality players could cost the Leafs as many as five first-round draft picks. Considering the Leafs' 1998 top draft choice, Nikolai Antropov, could earn a full-time job at forward in the next year or two it may not be worth the risk.
"I'm not sure the value is there," Quinn said. "The dollar (to pay the free agent) is one thing, the compensation is another. I don't think you should put your organization in that situation."

NO CROSS TO BEAR: After experiencing no pain during practice yesterday defenceman Cory Cross, who left Saturday's game in St. Louis with a leg strain after an awkward fall, said he likely would be ready to face Carolina tonight.
"It was really scary at first because I thought I blew out my knee," Cross said.

LOOSE LEAFS: Winger Sergei Berezin continues to lead the league with 41 shots on goal through Monday's games. That is more than five a game on average and was 10 shots ahead of Rangers' Theo Fleury ... St. John's winger Frantisek Mrazek will meet with Leafs doctors in Toronto this week to determine a date for his reconstructive knee surgery.

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