Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers Still Talking About the "Done Deal"?

The McCabe situation in Toronto is expected to be resolved by the early days of September. The Leafs and Panthers have apparently come to an agreement on a trade that involves McCabe going to the Panthers, with younger defenceman Mike Van Ryn heading to the "Big Smoke."

The reason this "done deal" has not gone through yet is McCabe's contract will pay him a $2 million bonus on Sept. 1, and the Leafs have agreed to pay it before he becomes Panther property.

With this trade on a two-week hold, are the Leafs and Panthers still in talks about other possible situations?

The answer is yes.

Toronto is really looking at other possible situations to involve Jay Bouwmeester in the trade some how, while the Panthers are listening and seeing what talent they can get in return.

Perhaps they would like a young player with a lot of potential for this season and the future, like an Ian White, or maybe they're looking for a player that can step in and be a key part of the team in this season, like a Ponikarovsky.

The rumors that Jay Bouwmeester will be involved in the trade were quickly dismissed, but there is still a possibility that the Leafs and Panthers could find a deal that would be helpful to both teams.

With Florida knowing that Bouwmeester will most likely not return to the team after season's end, they are looking into what they could get for him before the end of his contract.

While it is still far off that these two teams will come to an agreement on a different deal including some bigger names, it is still very possible. With a couple of weeks for the two teams to discuss other options, they may come across a deal that both will like.

If the Leafs and Panthers do not find a different deal, expect to see the McCabe-Van Ryn trade go through after Bryan's September bonus.