Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Defensemen to Pursue Instead of Alex Pietrangelo

Despite being one of the most overrated defensemen in the league, Kevin Shattenkirk is one of the only other defensemen that would be worth pursuing before you get to the point of re-evaluating the decision to prefer re-sign Tyson Barrie.

Shattenkirk was one of the more consistent offensive talents in the league between 2013-17 before dropping off the map when he joined the New York Rangers in 2017.

Due to his role as a top pairing defensemen in St. Louis, and his experience on Team USA, teams have always gotten excited when they have had the chance to acquire him, including the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Shattenkirk is currently on a one year team-friendly deal worth $1.75 million with Tampa, and if there’s one thing that the Toronto Maple Leafs would love, is a team-friendly deal.

While Shattenkirk will likely ask for a lot more when this summer comes, the fact that he has a mindset to win rather than get paid is a huge bonus for teams like Toronto who would love to build a championship group.

P.S, He’s right handed.

It’s safe to say that this is going to be yet another exciting off-season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and to even just be loosely associated with someone as talented as Alex Pietrangelo is already a positive look for the franchise. Expect big things from Dubas and company.