The Toronto Maple Leafs blue line could look very different next season
The defensive core of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been put under a microscope for the past couple of seasons with some warranted criticism, and they could finally be getting a big change coming this offseason.
Throughout the entire 2019-20 season there were tons of signs pointing to the fact that the St. Louis Blues would be preparing to let their captain Alex Pietrangelo walk away in the upcoming free agency period.
One of the more notable moves that stirred some conversation around Pietrangelo’s future in St. Louis was when the Blues signed Justin Faulk to a seven-year extension in September after trading for him in late September.
There are definitely some cases to make in favour of Pietrangelo coming to Toronto in the event he does leave, but history says that the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim. While being able to play in your hometown can be perceived to some as a dream come true, for others, it can be hard to deal with the pressure.
This scenario is especially important to take into account when it comes to Pietrangelo’s mindset during this offseason. Considering that the fans and the media surrounding the Maple Leafs would definitely paint him to be the saving grace of the Toronto defence, if there happen to be no immediate results, there could be some brutal repercussions facing the reputation of Pietrangelo as a player.
With all of this being said, there are no guarantees, and who’s to say that he is the type of player the Leafs want to go after? Kyle Dubas will have to find alternative options to build this defensive core this summer, and there are tons of players who could help out.