The Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire:
Mark Giordano (D)
Ilya Lyubushkin (D)
Colin Blackwell (F)
Toronto Maple Leafs Trade:
Travis Dermott (D)
I’d say after the Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs improved their roster more than any other team in the Atlantic Division. Lyubushkin was a third pairing defenseman in Arizona, but he’s been proving to be a great value pick up, and has looked good playing with Morgan Rielly on the top pairing.
Mark Giordano is starting off on the third pairing, but that is just the way it was written down – he ended up fourth on the team in 5v5 ice-time, and fourth overall in his first game.
Who knows how the Leafs may change their pairings when Jake Muzzin returns from injury and Brodie moves back to the right side. I’m guessing former Calgary Flames teammates Giordano and T.J. Brodie will reunite on a pairing that will play more than a Muzzin/Justin Holl pairing.
Colin Blackwell will give the fourth line a boost, and Travis Dermott would’ve been the Toronto Maple Leafs ninth defenseman with the arrival of Lyubushkin and Giordano.
I hope these new additions have a strong presence throughout the rest of the season and give the Toronto Maple Leafs a boost in the playoffs. In the end, Florida added the best player, but the Leafs improved their team the most relative to the cost it took to do so.