The Toronto Maple Leafs need some help on the blueline.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defense for next year – right now – includes Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly. That is it.
Travis Dermott will begin the season on the I.R after having shoulder surgery. Jake Gardiner is UFA. So is Ron Hainsey. Igor Ozhiganov went back to Russia. Nikita Zaitsev has requested a trade.
Calle Rosen, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin and Justin Holl will compete for jobs in training camp, but who can predict what will happen there?
Right now, the Leafs blue-line is a mystery. There is an absolute ton of left-handers on the team, and so everyone is talking about the need for right-handers.
The handedness of defenseman is almost certainly something that has taken on far more importance than it actually has in reality, but regardless, all things being equal, I think the Leafs would like to add a righty or two.
Now, are you going to cut a good player just because he is a lefty? Would you pass up a chance to add Victor Hedman just because he’s not a right hander? Obviously not.
It’s still worth keeping track of who might be available that checks all the right boxes. And it’s worth noting that comparatively, right-handers are rare.
And that is why it’s noteworthy that three- right handers are now off the market, in the first week of the offseason.
Right Handers Traded and Signed
First things first: the San Jose Sharks – according to Bob McKenzie – have signed Erik Karlsson to a monster eight year, $11 million per year contract.
Karlsson – even slightly injured – is by far the best defenseman on the planet. I was hoping he’d go back to Ottawa, but that is apparently not the case. The Toronto Maple Leafs were never going to be involved here, but a by can dream!
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Prior to this deal, there was a trade that took two of these guys off the market.
On Friday, the Flyers sent Radko Gudas – long the centre of Leafs rumours – the Capitals for another righty – Matt Niskanen.
Now this is a confusing trade because the Flyers retained salary and got the older, and worse player. However, if you ignore last year, Matt Niskanen has historically been way better than Gudas.
Personally, I don’t think the Leafs should have been interested in either player. Niskanen is too old, and why spend assets to pay for Gudas for one year then either lose him or pay him way too much money?
He’s ok, but he gives back too much of his value by being one of the NHL’s dirtiest players. It would have been different to get him before the playoffs – where you get two tries with him – but now, I’m glad he’s off the market.
So three defenseman are gone, but realistically, none factored into the plans of the Toronto Maple Leafs anyways. Perhaps we will find out who will patrol the blueline next year, later this week with the draft on the horizon. Be sure to check here for all the important up coming dates.