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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs. The Leafs held an outdoor shinny tournament Friday in Saint Paul, Minn.. 

Morgan Rielly insists he won’t be spending the next day checking his phone constantly for news on William Nylander. 

"I don't know if you guys think that we're tracking your tweets and things, but we're not," the Maple Leafs alternate captain said with a grin. "So, yeah, sorry. It's not even anything we think about. It’s not anything that we really talk about. If he’s here in a few days, then great. If not, we’re in the same position we are right now, we feel pretty good about it so we’re not overly worried.”

The deadline for Nylander, a restricted free agent, to sign a contract in order to be eligible to play in the NHL this season is Saturday at 5 pm ET. Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has made the trip to Minnesota along with his two assistants Brandon Pridham and Laurence Gilman. Dubas plans to address the media on Saturday. 

"At this point there's really nothing we can do," Rielly said. "If he signs, he signs, great. If not, we’ll move on. Obviously, we miss Willie, but it is what it is. We’ll be here tomorrow night with or without him."

Is head coach Mike Babcock looking forward to finding out – one way or the other – about Nylander?

"No," he said flatly. "I'm looking forward to Willie being on the team. In my heart and in my mind I know he’s going to be on the team. That’s how I have to think."

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In training camp, Babcock said he would try and maintain radio silence with Nylander, because he didn’t want to be seen as trying to influence the negotiations. But on Friday the Leafs coach revealed he has been in touch with the 22-year-old restricted free agent during the season. 

A reporter wondered if he asked the Swede to return to the team during that conversation.

"No," Babcock said. "We’re not begging anyone to be a Leaf. That’s not what we’re doing at all. It’s a privilege to be here for me and everybody else."

Babcock has been remarkably confident that the Nylander situation will end in a positive manner. Does he get a similar vibe from Nylander and his camp? 

"Well, the good thing about that is I don't deal with his camp," Babcock said. "That’s the great thing about being a coach, you don’t deal with that group. Just in my conversation with Willie that’s what I feel."

Despite missing the first third of the season, Babcock believes Nylander's transition back will be smooth. 

"I think so, for sure, and that’s what we’re betting on. We're betting on, he knows these guys, he’s a big part of the team, he’s elite skill, he likes hockey, he’s determined to be good, he fits into our group good. Obviously, he gives us more depth and the more depth you have the better chance you have to get in the tournament at the end and then play a long time so we want him back."

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But Nylander has missed a lot of games – Toronto plays its 27th of the regular season on Saturday – and a lot of team-bonding moments, including one on Friday afternoon. 

For the second straight year, the Leafs used a trip to the State of Hockey to hold a three-on-three tournament on a small outdoor rink near their hotel. Babcock uses the event to break up the monotony of the regular season grind. 

"When you got a good team, I found this when I coached the Red Wings, you can do what you want to team build, because no one’s questioning it, because you’re winning enough games," Babcock explained. "If you aren’t winning any games it’s hard to do the team-building events, because they wonder why you aren’t working on your power play or D-zone coverage or things like that. In reality, this is probably the best way in infuse life into your team. There’s no emotional well like there’s a gas station where you fill up your car. It comes and goes during the year and I think it’s important that you have it on a high and team building helps."

It was an especially meaningful day for Minnesota native Jake Gardiner, whose father John helped organize the festivities. John Gardiner showed up early with a trophy, one of Jake’s old squirt awards, that has been repurposed for this tournament. There was a banner with, "The Gardiner Classic," that was hung on the netting over the boards. The entire Gardiner clan seemed to be on hand. 

"It's pretty special," Jake Gardiner said. "My dad made a rink for my brother and I growing up every, single year and just nice to come back here and give him a little thing back here, too. It’s just a blast. My family loves it. I get to see them a little bit more."

Gardiner’s Team Red, which also featured Auston Matthews, Patrick Marleau, Justin Holl and Josh Leivo, lost in the championship game against Team White, a group which featured Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott, Par Lindholm and Igor Ozhiganov.

"We came out with lots to prove and we proved it," said a deadpan Dermott. 

"There’s a rumour going around that it’s the hardest trophy to win," said Rielly, who was on the winning side at the inaugural event. "But, you win it once, you get your name on it, it’s a good feeling."

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Not everyone got to take part in the fun. The goalies – Frederik Andersen and Garret Sparks – did a regular workout with coach Steve Briere back at the Excel Energy Center. A couple local goalies were recruited to fill in during the event. 

Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri and Ron Hainsey stayed off the ice entirely. Babcock called it a "rest" day for both. 

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Babcock likes to have individual meetings with each player every so often throughout the season. How have those sessions gone with John Tavares?

"My meetings with him are fantastic," the coach gushed. "He’s just unbelievable. He just kind of runs the meetings (saying), 'Yeah, I should’ve been on the high side here, should have done this here.' He just knows."

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Teams at Friday's Gardiner Classic:

RED

Gardiner 
Matthews 
Marleau 
Leivo 
Holl

BLACK 

Rielly 
Gauthier
Johnsson 
Zaitsev 

BLUE

Tavares
Hyman
Brown 
Ennis 
Marincin 

WHITE

Kapanen 
Dermott
Marner 
Lindholm
Ozhiganov