Toronto Maple Leafs Seeking Right Shot Defenseman with Edge

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for a right-shooting defenseman with some edge. Unfortunately, so are many other teams.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were in trade talks with the Calgary Flames regarding Nikita Zadorov, but the Leafs needed the Flames to retain 50% of Zadorov’s contract. After being unable to make a deal work, the Flames traded Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have one lingering problem to deal with before general manager Brad Treliving can feel more comfortable making a trade for defensive help.

The Leafs need to know whether John Klingberg will be on LTIR for the remainder of the season. If there’s a chance he could return before the regular season finishes, then Treliving needs to make sure the cap space is available for his return.

However, if Klingberg will remain on LTIR all season, Treliving will have some cap space to improve the team.

According to Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet, the Leafs would prefer a right-shooting defenseman with some edge. However, he does mention that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Sean Walker is not high on their list.

The Leafs are reportedly okay with trading mid to late-round draft picks for a rental but are open to trading for a defenseman with some term beyond this season. The following defensemen are just a few of the possible options Treliving could be considering.

Toronto Maple Leafs Seeking Right Shot Defenseman with Edge

Andrew Peeke

Andrew Peeke is a 25-year-old right-shooting defenseman from Parkland, Florida, USA.

He is currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2016 NHL draft with the 34th overall pick.

Peeke is 6’3, 210 Lbs, and supplies a lot of hits and blocked shots. Last season, Peeke registered 180 hits and 197 blocked shots.

The season before that, he recorded 191 hits and 169 blocked shots. He has the fearless edge that Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for.
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)

His career average ice time is 20:10 minutes a game. He could potentially slot into the Leafs top four if they can acquire him, but is he good enough to play top-four minutes on a team that is a cup contender?

His contract has a salary cap hit of $2.75 million until the end of the 2025-26 season. Considering the fact that the Leafs don’t have many defensemen signed beyond this season, Peeke could be a really good pick-up. (Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)

One of the things that go against Peeke is his lack of any playoff experience. Another is that the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team much worse than the Leafs, keep healthy-scratching him.

Peeke has one assist in four games, along with six hits and eight blocked shots, while averaging 14:55 minutes of ice time.

Due to the Blue Jakets crowded blueline, Peeke has not been getting a lot of playing time and has been a healthy scratch a few times. This has led to speculation that the Blue Jackets might be open to trading him.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

Will Borgen

The Toronto Maple Leafs got a good look at Will Borgen on November 30th, when the Leafs managed to beat the Seattle Kraken in a shootout.

Borgen is a soon-to-be 27-year-old right-shooting defenseman from Moorhead, Minnesota, USA.

Borgen is a 4th round draft pick (92nd overall) of the Buffalo Sabres from the 2015 draft.

He was claimed by the Kraken during the 2021 NHL expansion draft. He is 6’3, 204 Lbs, and was a hitting machine for the Kraken last season. Borgen finished the 2022-23 season with three goals and 17 assists for 20 points in 82 games. He registered 89 blocked shots and 203 hits while averaging 16:22 minutes of ice time.

Like Peeke, Borgen has a small enough salary cap hit that the Leafs can manage. His contract is for $2.7 million this season and next. The Leafs wouldn’t need the Kraken to retain any salary, which makes Borgen easier to acquire. His ability to play 16 to 20 minutes a game is beneficial to the Leafs with all the injuries they’ve had.

A bonus for the Leafs acquiring Borgen would be the physical presence he brought during the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. In 14 playoff games, he averaged 17:41 minutes of ice time and registered 18 blocked shots and 33 hits.

It’s an element that the Leafs do not have enough of that is needed come playoff time.

Mario Ferraro

Mario Ferraro is a 25-year-old left-shooting defenseman from Toronto.

He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 2nd round of the 2017 NHL draft with the 49th overall pick.

Although Ferraro shoots left, and the Toronto Maple Leafs would prefer a right-shooting defenseman, I put him on this list because of how he plays.

Ferrao is 6’0, 209 Lbs, but plays like he is 6’5, 230 Lbs. He has the edge to his game that the Leafs are looking for. Last season, Ferraro registered four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 72 games. He also recorded 129 hits and145 blocked shots.

So far this season, Ferraro has four assists, 27 hits, and 77 blocked shots while averaging 22 minutes a night. He could slide into the Leafs top four and help solidify their defense.

Ferraro’s salary cap hit is $3.25 million a season until the end of the 2025-26 season. A bit more costly than Peeke or Borgen but still manageable if Klingberg is done for the season.

Although he has no playoff experience due to playing for the Sharks, I think his bulldog-like attitude would be a good thing to have come playoff time.

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He might not be Treliving’s first choice, but he’s a good backup option. I think the Toronto Maple Leafs would be better with him on their blueline.

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