With the NHL Draft and free agency approaching, the rumour mill is in full swing, with TSN hockey insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger weighing in with the latest on the Maple Leafs interest in Aaron Ekblad and why Dave Bolland looks primed to hit the open market. “Dave Bollands initial ask of the Toronto Maple Leafs was seven to eight years in length and a little under $5 million,” McKenzie said Wednesday on TSN 1050. ”That was probably too long and too rich for Leaf blood, so it looks like hell go to market at this point.” Despite not being on the same page in negotiations at the moment, McKenzie thinks a deal between the 28-year-old and his hometown team could still be a possibility if he adjusts both his term and salary expectation. “If the Leafs counter, I think they would probably counter more in the five year range, at a number closer to Tyler Bozak-type money, $4.25 or $4.5 million,” McKenzie said. “The Leafs have some interest, but I dont think theyre prepared to give the seven or eight-year deal at that kind of money to Dave Bolland.” Besides their soon-to-be free agent centre, Toronto is also engaged in talks with the Panthers regarding the no. 1 overall selection in Friday nights draft. If they were to move up, it would be with the purpose of taking the consensus top-rated prospect Ekblad. “Toronto feels like not only is he the best player in the draft, but when you look at the best player in the draft being a defenceman, then you cant waste that opportunity, youve gotta take that player,” Dreger told Mike Richards in the Morning on Wednesday. Dreger noted that Panthers GM Dale Tallon is open to a deal, but would likely wait until draft day to pull the trigger on any sort of trade. TSN Radio 1050 reporter Jonas Siegel is reporting that the agent for Jay McClement says there have been no talks with the Leafs and none are planned for the future regarding a new contract. McKenzie: Bolland likely to hit open market Dreger: Ekblad appealing for Leafs Button: NHL Draft preview, Leafs/Ritchie Dellow and Simmons get heated about Bolland Evan Fournier Jersey . This week, topics cover the World Series champion Red Sox, John Farrell and what to look forward to this off-season. 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"Her knee was swollen again after Val dIsere," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press.The FIBA World Cup gold and bronze medal matches are set. As expected, the USA plays in the championship game against unexpected upstarts Serbia. Will Strickland and Duane Watson of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will & Duane share the ball this week with Postmedia news editor/writer, Hasan Alanam, also a statistics consultant for the Womens program at Canada Basketball. TSNs Three-Man-Weave assesses the World Cup as it winds down and weighs in on the unfolding situation with the Atlanta Hawks. After spoiling the anticipated FIBA World Cup Final by shocking Spain 65-52, did France become the Cinderella of the tournament? Strickland: Hard to call one of the top teams in the world and current Eurobasket champs Cinderella, even without Tony Parker and Joakim Noah, but the good money was on a final match-up between hoops superpowers Spain and the USA. Despite the heroics of Nic Batum and Boris Diaw, France was edged by the real Cinderella, Serbia, in the semi-final. Lead by Milos Teodosic (look for him possibly on an NBA roster near you someday) and the irrepressible Bogdan Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbias underdog status versus the US will have the Palacio de Los Desportes in Madrid at full tilt for what could be a thrilling final. Alanam: France stunned everyone after eliminating the only team that had a chance of beating USA and they did it without Tony Parker and several key rotational guys that helped France win the 2013 Eurobasket. Credit the French for recognizing the Diaw-Gasol mismatch and Rudy Gobert for shutting down the Spanish frontcourt. That said, France was only a big underdog in their match against Spain. Serbia, on the other hand, had a tougher path to the final after beating favourites Greece and Brazil. Theyre the Cinderella team of the tournament. Watson: France cant be a Cinderella if they are the reigning Eurobasket champions. They overachieved, but no team has surprised more than Serbia. Ranked 11th in the world, every country they defeated was ranked higher than them (Greece #5, Brazil #10 and France #8) and they were all beat convincingly. With little NBA-calibre talent on the roster, they have shown how a balanced team effort can pull through, compete and win. Best chance for Serbia to knock off the USA in the Finals? Strickland: Hope that the USA doesnt show to the arena? Really, if Serbia can implement a plan to keep the USAs offensive rebounds relatively even with their own to quell second and third shot opportunities, limit dribble penetration, force live ball turnovers, stay home on the shooters and make bigs like Anthony Davis, Kenneth Faried, DeMarcus Cousins and Mason Plumlee decision-makers late in the shot clock, they have a real chance. Then again, looking at that laundry list of requirements against the USA, it should be posted under Serbias Easier Said Than Done file, as well. Alanam: Serbia has an outside shot of beating the USA if they can control the pace, limit their transition game and execute efficiently. They space the floor well, have three-point shooters outside (second in the tourney in 3PT%) and have multiple ball-handlers that can run their staple high pick-and-roll play. It will be interesting to see how Milos Teodosic, arguably the best point guard in Europe, stacks up against the elite USA point guards. Watson: Im going to throw the playbook out the window here. If Serbia continues to play with confidence and never-say-die-attitude that got them to this point, they will be ok. They surely will compete and not be scared of the fact theyre playing the US. They havent backed down to anyone and wont now. They just have to be able to come up with answers defensively. Who is the MVP of FIBA World Cup 2014? Strickland: Fans vote so, itll be Pau Gasol. The tourneys in Spain. Politically correct or even accurate? No, but the FIBA World Cup is being held in Spain! Being a firm believer in the idea that the team who wins normally has the MVP on its roster, it cant be Gasol. If Serbia upsets the USA in the final, Milos Teodosic is the MVP. The 65, 27-year-old Teodosic is one of the best players in Europe and has been beyond fantastically clutch in this tournament. When the USA wins, it should be either Klay Thompson or Kenneth Faried, two guys few were sure would make the US Mens National Team, but have been vital contributors to its success. Wonder if Duane Watson voted for Andray Blatche... #Gilas Alanam: It has to be Pau Gasol, despite Spains early exit. The 34-year-old big man looked as dominant as ever in international play and appears to be finally healthy after battling injuries the last two seasons with the Lakers. He finished the tournament aaveraging about 20 points and six rebounds with a true shooting percentage of over 68 per cent.dddddddddddd Chicago Bulls fans should be optimistic about this coming season even with Derrick Rose struggling in the tournament. Watson: Well, the fans actually vote for the MVP and since the World Cup is based in Spain, Pau Gasol will walk away with the award. Deservedly so, averaging 20 points a game, 5.9 rebounds and shooting 63 per cent from the field, while leading his team to an undefeated record in pool play. Gasol has used the World Cup as a perfect springboard for a fresh start with the Chicago Bulls this season. Derrick Rose is averaging 5.4 points per game, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds on 27 per cent shooting from the field in 17 minutes a game. How would you rate his return? Strickland: Disappointingly incomplete. My issues with Derrick Martell Rose, how hes handled the injuries, his role on this team and public perception of his desire are myriad, but there is nothing Ive seen from Rose in this tournament that tells me his return to the NBA will also mark his return to elite status as a player or that hes fully shaken the mental, emotional and physical hurdles someone so athletically gifted may have to leap to find peace, progress and ultimate performance after such devastating injuries. Alanam: It would be unfair to rate Rose at this point because he is coming back from two major knee surgeries and playing under a different set of rules (and with a different ball). His jumpshot isnt falling, he isnt finishing well, has turnover issues (turnover rate over 20 per cent), but his drives to the rim have looked explosive and he has played solid defence. Rose had his best game against Slovenia when he dropped 16 points, but struggled in USAs semi-final match against Lithuania. Watson: On a scale of one to 10? FIVE. Rose has shown that his knees work and are functional, but his game and competitive spirit are somewhat lacking. I wont attribute it to the competition, as he has been training with USA Basketball all summer, but the player who dominated the league a few years ago is nowhere to be seen and this is against perceived weaker competition. He still has a few more kilometres to travel on the road to getting back to himself. If Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson or GM Danny Ferrys insensitive comments occurred as isolated incidences, would there be as much of an issue? Strickland: Wouldnt have made a difference one way or the other. In light of fresh scars from the Donald Sterling/LA Clippers drama, this situation in Atlanta reads like a modern Shakespearean tragedy. Front office power struggles between Bruce Levenson, Danny Ferry, CEO Steve Koonin and co-owner Michael Gearon, who looks to be the whistleblower here, are only the tip of the iceberg. Danny Ferry committed potential career suicide by claiming he was only reiterating words from a scouting report on then-free agent and fellow Duke alum Luol Deng, instead of speaking extemporaneously. And Bruce Levenson, in an attempt to address market pressures, but in racially insensitive tones, is relinquishing his majority ownership of the club, aware of the consequences of his judgement. It may get worse before it gets better in the ATL. Alanam: In the post-Donald Sterling era, any time when there is any sort of racially charged comments coming from a high-ranking front office member of a team, its going to be a big deal. This is a league thats predominantly African-American and has always gotten high marks for its diversity, so this goes completely against what they stand for. Luckily for the NBA, they have the Ray Rice situation unfolding at the same time. This could have been a lot worse. Watson: The coupling of the statements spells bad news for the Hawks, but individually, particularly in the light of Donald Sterlings Clippers fiasco, they would likely have had the same amount of weight. Levensons insensitive e-mail was damning and a sale of his majority share was inevitable. Ferrys mishandling of statements that werent his, made the situation worse and referring to it as a poor judgement call would be a gross understatement. He apologized, but is the only one who hasnt owned up to what he said, unlike Sterling or Levenson. The fact they both happened within a relatively short timeframe of one another speaks to the culture in the Atlanta organization, which is in desperate need of change. The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1 On 1 with Will & Duane, Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1), Duane Watson (@DuaneWatson) and Postmedia News editor / writer Hasan Alanam (@hasanalanam). ' ' '