Zee said:
That was indeed (and usually is) my intention!
If the Leafs do anything with their expiring UFAs, it'll be towards a non-rental core augmenter, but more likely to be drawing from the pool of prospects rather than the UFAs.
I'm trying to remember who did this, but an unofficial poll of some GMs about what they'd pay for JvR at the deadline was pretty high (1st rd pick, top prospect, plus). I can see the Metro division clawing over one another for him. I can see the offense-by-committee teams taking a healthy swing too.