Torrin Bachelor:
Just one player to target for the Leafs offseason? That’s a tough one, despite surpassing all expectations and taking the Capitals to 6 games in a playoffs series they weren’t projected to be in, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of holes still.
At forward, Zach Hyman provided the hustle on Matthews wing all year, but if Matthews is to take the next step he’ll need an upgrade. Internally that could be Leivo, Rychel or Leipsic but let’s have some fun and say Patrick Marleau and Ilya Kovalchuk are the best options here.
The defensive unit, and its lack of depth is the most pointed to reason the Leafs couldn’t unset the Caps. Bringing back Zaitsev would be a good start, however on free agency there isn’t a whole lot outside of Kevin Shattenkirk.
In order to make the impact they need to, the Leafs will be shopping on the trade market. There are quite a few intriguing names here, ranging from young waiting stars to more established pros. Noah Hanifin from the Canes, Chris Tanev from the Canucks, Josh Manson from the Ducks and Marc-Edouard Vlasic from the Sharks are the best fits for the Leafs needs and all three teams make favourable trade partners.