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Toronto Maple Leafs Wishlist Ahead of NHL Trade Deadline

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 09: Nick Foligno #71 of the Columbus Blue Jackets scores a empty net goal at 19:37 as Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 09: Nick Foligno #71 of the Columbus Blue Jackets scores a empty net goal at 19:37 as Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 05: Vince Dunn #29 of the St. Louis Blues  (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

No. 3: Bottom Six Defenseman

Potential Fits:

  • Vince Dunn
  • Marc Staal
  • Brandon Montour
  • Collin Miller

The Toronto Maple Leafs defensive-core is set. Although Justin Holl hasn’t been himself over the past week, he’s not going anywhere, unless something big happens and a Godfather-type trade comes out of nowhere.

In a perfect world, the team would have seven defenseman that they can rely on every night and rotate the No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 defensive spots as the season progresses and the playoffs start.

Some options are better than others, but the four players listed are bottom-tier players that are pending UFA’s or have one year left on their deal. All four defenseman listed have been involved in trade rumors recently and three of the four make sense why.

Miller, Montour and Staal are stuck on two of the worst teams in the NHL. They’re getting exposed night-after-night and it’s not pretty. However, a chance of scenery could change their stance immediately.

Just look at Zach Bogosian, who was put on waivers by the Buffalo Sabres last year. He went from being out of the NHL to a Stanley Cup champion and is now a top-six defenseman on another Stanley Cup contending roster.

Any one of these players may be a victim of their surrounding and a change could really spark their career. They can all provide depth, so I’m sure the Toronto Maple Leafs would be happy to acquire one of these four players, if the price was right.

However, of all of those players, Vince Dunn should be the No. 1 target.

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