OK, so it's not huge, but I know that there are plenty of you that would rather read about things more specifically related to the Leafs, so here you are, courtesy of Steve Dangle, at The Leafs Nation:

A source I trust has confirmed the rumours that former Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Paul Ranger has signed with the Toronto Marlies.

Over the last few days, several reports have come out that Ranger had signed an AHL deal in Toronto. If true, Ranger will be set to play his first professional hockey since his 8 games with Tampa Bay during the 2009-10 season before taking a mysterious leave of absense that left many Lightning fans scratching their heads.

Interesting that the Leafs will have to move around some AHLers in order to conform to that league's guidelines about how many veteran players can be on the roster.

Leafs Links:

When does Maple Leaf hockey "click in" for you?
I think about hockey from almost the second I wake up until I actually fall asleep at night, pretty much every day. From Michael Langlois.

A "meaningful gulf" in the quality of centremen
Raise your hand if you were surprised by the fact that Mikhail Grabovski was the Leafs' best centre last year. Hm. From Cam Charron.

Vintage Leafs: New photos are up!
Go browse around, because Harold C. has recently added a bunch of 'em.

Some Things To Keep In Mind As The Offseason Draws To A Close
Curt S over at BCP has a few story lines to keep an eye on - and they're not related to CBA negotiations.

Other Hockey Links:

The Dallas Stars and the semi-shady dealings of auctioning off the role of "team doctor"
An NHL franchise's management being shady? What next!? From Justin Bourne.

Gary Bettman is a manipulative weasel, and that’s good for the business-side of the NHL
I wouldn't let him in my house. From Justin Bourne.

Dallas Stars Logos & Jerseys: How Do You Feel About Possible Changes?
We can't ALL wear red, white, or blue. From Brandon Worley at Defending Big D.

Junior hockey close to forming a players union
Robert MacLeod has the story at the Globe.

Predators give Mike Fisher two-year, $8.4M contract extension
From the Canadian Press.

NHL searches for standards on hooking, holding and interference penalties
I've pretty much just resigned myself to a lot of ghost calls and a lot of goals against the Leafs on the PK. From Chris Johnston.

Flyers sign forward Scott Hartnell to a six-year contract extension
That's $4.75M cap hit per year, in case you didn't hear about this yesterday. I bet Ed Snider is the MOST POPULAR GUY at the owner's table right now. From the Canadian Press.

Mike Danton denied visa to play hockey in England
Attempted murder! I mean, what is that?! Do they give out a Nobel prize for ATTEMPTED CHEMISTRY? From Chris Johnston.