Bolland rumors: Panthers may be prepared to offer UFA center more than Leafs (McKenzie)

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Though the hour is getting late in regards to the opening of the unrestricted free agent market on Tuesday at noon, the Toronto Maple Leafs and checking center Dave Bolland are expected to give contract negotiations one last try this morning.

"I think the Leafs are going to go back at it one more time this morning," said TSN's Bob McKenzie during an appearance on the Team 1040 sports talk radio station in Vancouver on Tuesday morning. "They're prepared to give Bolland a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $5 million per year..."

That would seem a fair offer for a forward who has never thrived playing top-six minutes in the NHL, but Bolland could maybe get more elsewhere. In particular, Bolland was originally drafted by Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon and Tallon may be prepared to open the vault in order to assure a reunion.

"The sense seems to be that he'll get at least five years and maybe even more money than he'd get in Toronto in Florida," McKenzie said. "So we'll see how it shakes out there. Bolland will probably have a decision to make and it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up with the Florida Panthers."

Will Bolland take his talents to south beach when the market opens on Tuesday? Or will this all playing out like the Tyler Bozak negotiations did a year ago?