The telephone rings and Joffrey Lupul, who normally answers, doesn’t.
A message is left but it is not returned.
An agent who has represented him on occasion hasn’t heard from him in months.
Some say the injured Maple Leaf is in California. Some joke that he is stashed somewhere on what is now called Robidas Island, the place where fallen Leafs go to disappear.
What isn’t funny is this: Quite likely, at the age of 33, after 701 NHL games, Lupul has played his last game. Unless there is some quirky salary cap financial reason to do so, he won’t be traded on Wednesday.