TORONTO — As far as closely guarded secrets go, this one was tough to understand.
Two days after president Brendan Shanahan publicly admitted that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in signing free-agent goalie Martin Brodeur, the team refused to say whether it had even extended James Reimer a qualifying offer. In fact, the Leafs were one of only a small handful of NHL organizations that didn’t disclose what they were doing with their restricted free agents after the deadline for retaining those players expired on Monday night.
Sportsnet later learned that Reimer received his $1.6-million, one-year qualifying offer back in May — making the covertness all the more unusual.
It’s no secret that the 26-year-old has likely played his last game for the team — Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported Sunday that Reimer has requested a trade — but the qualifying offer ensures that the Leafs will retain his rights when free agency opens at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
To this point, he remains unsigned for next season. Reimer has the choice of simply accepting his qualifying offer or trying to negotiate a different contract, something he might elect to do with a new team should his rights be traded.
There is also the possibility that he remains property of the Toronto organization if a deal can’t be worked out.
Through sources, Sportsnet also learned that centre Peter Holland and defencemen Jake Gardiner and Cody Franson were extended qualifying offers from the Leafs as well.
