Solving the Toronto Maple Leafs Blue-Line Needs with a Blockbuster Trade

The Toronto Maple Leafs are obviously going to make some changes on the blue-line this off-season.

But the interesting thing about the Toronto Maple Leafs situation is that it’s actually not a bad group, it just lacks right-handers and toughness.

The Leafs won’t be bringing back Tyson Barrie or Cody Ceci, so that leaves a blue-line of Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Justin Holl, Travis Dermott (RFA), Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Mikko Lehtonen.

Assuming Lehtonen can play the right side, and Liljegren is a question mark, then Travis Dermott will be traded.  If they can upgrade Holl, they will.

Leafs Blue Line

The Leafs blue line next year, ideally will look like this:

Rielly –  New Guy

Muzzin – Lehtonen

Sandin – Holl / New Guy

Morgan Rielly has become a top ten defenseman, scored over 60 points, and been robbed of a Norris Trophy, and yet he’s never had a good partner in his entire career.  Sorry, but if you think Ron Hainsey was good, you are wrong and the evidence is indisputable.  Obviously Cody Ceci was even worse than Hainsey, though I wouldn’t have believed that possible.

Getting Rielly a right-handed partner who is as good as he is, and who is harder to play against is the Leafs biggest need and priority.

An often misunderstood thing about Kyle Dubas and others who preach a skill before everything approach is that they don’t like, respect, or covet tough, hard-to-play tough players.

They do. Traditionally, NHL teams pick bigger players over faster, better players.  They put players on their rosters who can’t play because they can fill a specific role.  But analytically, those players are losers.  They cost you in games, even if you enjoy the odd hit, fight or inspirational play that they provide.

Contrary to the superficial opinions people have about Dubas’ philosophy, he has acquired Jake Muzzin and Kyle Clifford.   He wants tough players on the Leafs, just not at the expense of skill.

For example, I’m sure a lot of people would like it if the Leafs picked up Radko Gudas – a tough as nails, hard hitting, suspension machine.  But Dubas would prefer the superior (at least at this point in their careers) skill of Justin Holl.

The Gudas of five years ago would be a welcome addition, however.  Make no mistake, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to acquire such a player.  They are just really, really rare.

Almost all of your “hard to play against” defensemen, by reputation anyways, actually stink.

With that in mind, the Leafs needs are obvious because there are only two players in the NHL who fit this bill.  I discussed one of them earlier in this article.  The other is Aaron Ekblad.

The 6’4 215lbs monster is everything your heart desires.  Coming off a 2.4 WAR season, Ekblad was good for 1.8 this year and is an elite player.

He has flirted with 40 points in five of the last six seasons and he’s a pretty good defensive player.  Most of all, he would combine with Rielly to make, with apologies to Jones and Werenski, the best pairing in the NHL.

Best of all? The Panthers are a cash-strapped mess that bleeds money and has a cheap owner.  They’ve got no choice but to clear salary and the Leafs are in a position to make them a good offer for what should be their franchise player.

Travis Dermott is a 23 year old potential stud who has numbers better than almost any defenseman his age not named Zach Werenski.  The Leafs are stocked with lefties, so he’s expendable.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are also stocked with high-skill, smallish forwards and could afford to let Nick Robertson go.  After that, its simply a matter of adding picks and taking back salary until you get the deal you want.

Of course you’d have to unload Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen in separate deals to make it work, but they are internally replaceable with Alex Barabanov and a re-signed Ilya Mikeheyev.