LAS VEGAS -- You can forget all those Internet-fueled Boston Bruins-Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumors involving either Tomas Kaberle or Marc Savard.
"There's no truth to it," Leafs GM Brian Burke told ESPN.com on Wednesday.
That's not to say Kaberle can't end up a Bruin one day, but it won't be for Savard. Kaberle is on the trade market; Burke has been up front about that all along. But the Bruins haven't moved into the picture at this point. Burke took the time to fully update the Kaberle situation for us:
"First off, before people get too worked up, Tomas Kaberle's no-trade clause does not go away until the draft commences," Burke said. "So, this notion that he's been moved or a deal has been arranged is absurd. Two, we have not had meaningful discussions with the Boston Bruins about any one trade option.
"Three, if and when we do get to a point where we see a deal that makes sense, we're going to try to move Tomas somewhere where he wants to go, and that's if we get that far. Right now, if I had to handicap this thing, I'd say he's not going anywhere, and the draft is not a meaningful time frame for us. There's no pressure to trade him while we're there."
In a perfect world, the Leafs would like to trade Kaberle in return for a bona-fide top-six forward, but they're not going to deal him for the sake of dealing him. They're not giving one of the game's top puck movers away (Kaberle has one year left on his deal at $4.25 million).
Latest out of Ottawa
I checked in with Senators GM Bryan Murray on the Jason Spezza front. Nothing new there, and that's not surprising. As one NHL GM from a Western Conference club told ESPN.com this week, "I wouldn't get interested until after that bonus payment is made."Spezza is due to receive a $4 million bonus payment July 1, just like Dany Heatley a year ago. But this time around, the Senators have no plans to pay the bonus and still make the trade.
"I guarantee you this: This situation is not what happened last year," Murray told ESPN.com on Wednesday from Los Angeles. "If we pay the money, then he's going to be playing for us for the year. We can't do that again. We just can't do that."
Spezza's no-trade clause also kicks in July 1, so clearly the clock is ticking for the talented center. He opened up this can of worms in his player exit meeting by saying he didn't like the way the fans got on him this season and would be open to a move.
"There's nothing at this point," Murray said. "I have talked to a couple of teams to see if there's anybody out there. Jason is not demanding a trade, but he said he wouldn't object to one if something happened. And that's where it is. There's nothing more to it at this point."
And finally ...
• Expect Drew Doughty's agent, Don Meehan, to chat with Kings GM Dean Lombardi over the next few days in Los Angeles. Doughty has one more year left on his entry-level deal, but Lombardi wants to lock him up long-term this summer. We'll see if both sides find a fit."Obviously, I would love for that to happen. I would love to sign a deal in L.A. again," Doughty told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "I love playing in L.A., but nothing has happened yet and I'm just waiting in the weeds and seeing what happens."
• There have been questions surrounding Niki Filatov's future after he left the Columbus Blue Jackets, with their consent, to go play in Russia this past season. Will he return to the Jackets for 2010-11? "Yes," Jackets GM Scott Howson texted to us Wednesday.
