No. 3: John Klingberg
I’d say the Leafs should acquire Erik Karlsson over Klingberg in this position, but I don’t want a 31 year-old defenseman who’s making $11.5M until 2027 on this roster, when you need to re-sign the entire core before that contract ends.
With only one-year left on his deal, I’d much rather go after Klingberg, who I’ve been advocating the Leafs trade for since last season.
Klingberg possesses a lot of skills that Toronto need right now. He’s a right-shot defenseman with size, who can help contribute offensively.
He doesn’t provide as much grit that Jake Muzzin does, who Toronto is trying to replace, but he is a major upgrade over Justin Holl, who should be out of the line-up come the playoffs.
The 30 year-old has shown an ability to play top-pair minutes on-route to a Stanley Cup Final and has delivered offensively in those games as well. That experience is very important and he’d be a great fit on the Leafs blue-line who loves getting the puck up the ice.
Sure, Toronto should want to play physical, but their mantra is getting the puck out of the zone as quick and efficient as possible and that’s Klingberg’s strong suit.