An excerpt from Globesports.com (David Shoalts):
No one is saying defenceman Mike Van Ryn is the player the Toronto Maple Leafs will receive from the Florida Panthers for Bryan McCabe, but all signs point in that direction.
Those close to Van Ryn say he believes Panthers general manager Jacques Martin wants to move him and he expects to be either the player named in a trade for fellow defenceman McCabe or shipped to another NHL team. One source close to Van Ryn said Friday the trade can only be considered “a possibility” at this point. Martin will not comment on the matter.
“I haven’t heard anything, so I still consider myself a Florida Panther,” Van Ryn, a native of London, Ont., told The Miami Herald. “[Toronto] would be home, I guess, but my home is here. It would be quite an adjustment. But whatever happens, happens. If the Panthers want to move me, they will. But I like it here.”
Habster:
It makes sense from both teams perspective as Toronto wants to dump Bryan McCabe’s contract which runs until the 2010-11 season with a cap hit of $5.75 million per year.
Florida wants to rid itself of the often injured Mike Van Ryn who has always had good potential and played really well when he was healthy.
If Van Ryn can remain healthy, Cliff Flecther has made a solid deal which gives him more cap room to pursue other players before/during the upcoming season.