NHL Network: Elliotte Friedman on Joe Thornton and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
** NHLrumors.com transcription **
“Mike, the pursuit is on. The recruitment drive is on. I believe members of the Maple Leafs organization, the general manager Kyle Dubas, the head coach Sheldon Keefe, and some members of the core group have already reached out and told they want him to join them in Toronto.
I believe a couple of the guys who have spoken to him, I think Auston Matthews has, I think Jake Muzzin has, and I think it’s also possible that captain John Tavares has.