With Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev out with an upper-body injury and listed as week-to-week, there are many reports that the Leafs are looking to shore up their blue line in the meantime.
On Thursday's episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman said Toronto plans to get through this week before evaluating the situation further. That could mean a new defenseman is in place by the time the Leafs play their second back-to-back of the season next Monday and Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Many rumors are swirling about which defenders Toronto might pursue. Here are three potential options for Leafs GM John Chayka.
Braden Schneider, New York Rangers
It is hard to say how highly the Rangers value the 2020 19th overall pick, but with the club missing both its starting and backup goaltenders, a netminder like Anthony Stolarz could be a return piece that persuades them to part with Schneider.
At 25, Schneider would be a defenseman hungry for his next contract, since he is in a contract year, and he would have room to grow on a Toronto blue line with older pieces who are bound to miss time. Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jake McCabe and Morgan Rielly are all 32 or older.
Schneider is not the most offensive defenseman, but he offers size at 6-foot-4 and can be physically imposing. He has 330 hits since the start of the 2024-25 season, the 11th-most among defensemen, and 298 blocked shots, which ranks in the top 22 among defenders.
Braden Schneider absolutely levels Trent Frederic and chaos ensues. 😳👊 pic.twitter.com/QyldDvUiv3
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 4, 2022
His defensive numbers are also somewhat promising, as according to MoneyPuck, Schneider has the second-best on-ice goal differential on the Rangers this season at plus-2. This was a weak point last season, when New York struggled badly as a team and Schneider finished a team-worst minus-25, however he was much better in recent years, going minus-3 in 2024-25 and a minus-7 in 2023-24.
A swap for Stolarz could work, as Schneider is a right-shot defenseman who could slot right in. But giving up a once-reliable netminder like Stolarz would be pricey, especially since the goaltender could easily bounce back.
Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins
Entering the final season of his eight-year contract, the 36-year-old is likely looking for his best chance to win and to stack points toward a new deal. Rumors have linked the Swedish star to Toronto for some time, and the Leafs may finally make it happen. Friedman also said Chayka loves to take big swings, and landing a near point-per-game defenseman would be a large one.
Karlsson does not offer the same hits and blocked-shot totals, but he brings offense and knows how to defend with his stick, with 81 takeaways since the start of 2024-25, 11th-most among defensemen.
However, there are several hurdles as Toronto would first need Karlsson to waive his no-move clause, and the Leafs would have to fit him under the cap. They have $4.925 million in space, while his cap hit this season is $10 million.
The cap should keep growing, so the long-term finances can work, but in the short term Toronto would need some financial gymnastics. That could mean offloading a current blueliner such as Tanev, or getting Pittsburgh to retain salary, which it can do to a certain extent with two retention spots left. A third team could be needed to absorb some of the hit too, complicating matters further.
Still, Toronto would get an electric offensive defenseman to pair with Darren Raddysh, giving the Leafs two lethal power-play quarterbacks and two blueliners who can jump into the play, making an already top-10 offense even better. It would be a big swing, but if Chayka loves to take them, this is the one to target.
Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers
Just months after beating Karlsson's Penguins in a playoff series, the Flyers have seen their fortunes flip and have opened the season with nine straight losses, a record start.
Ristolainen, 31, is in a contract year and is currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, though he is expected back within the next few games and his $5.1 million cap hit is far more manageable for Toronto.
The Finnish import is a physical right-shot defenseman at 6-foot-4, similar in style to Tanev and in build to Schneider, but with more offensive upside. He can give the Leafs a subtle 20 points a season, and early in his career he reached 30 to 40 points before injuries set in.
With the incentive of a new contract, he could find that level again, making Ristolainen the most bang for the buck player of the three, but he also carries the biggest injury risk.
Add us as a preferred source on Google