Joffrey Lupul isn’t ready to say goodbye, even knowing full well the Maple Leafs are intent on finding a way to bury the contract of their second highest-paid player.

“I’m playing the waiting game,” Lupul said Saturday from New York. “I’m trying to get healthy. That’s my focus right now.

“I haven’t heard anything (from the Leafs). I really can’t tell you anything. I’m just playing the waiting game now.”

This much is clear: The Leafs don’t want Lupul. And he won’t willingly comply with their wishes. Just how this comes to conclusion is matter of some conjecture now.

But if general manager Lou Lamoriello has shown anything in first season and some with the Leafs, it has been an ability to twist roster rules, stretch loopholes and find a way to get done precisely what he wants to get done.

“It’s frustrating,” Lupul said of his situation and his constant battle with injuries. “I still want to play hockey. I still think I’m a hockey player.”

Read More..