Maple Leafs may have just made the best move of the NHL offseason

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced the signing of defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) on Saturday.

The move, which would otherwise go down as an uneventful depth move, could actually turn out to be a savvy, under-the-radar move.

Allow me to explain.

I got a chance to see a fair chunk of Blankenburg last season while he was with the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs traded for the 28-year-old, as they needed depth on the blueline. Blankenburg played 12 regular-season games, particularly since Cale Makar missed some time with a shoulder injury.

Don’t get me wrong. Blankenburg wasn’t some whiz on the ice. He was a good, third-pairing guy who could move the puck. He isn’t big, but he can keep up with skilled forwards like the ones in Colorado.

That’s why the Leafs likely wanted to bring him into camp. And doing it on a PTO makes even more sense.

The Leafs don’t have the contracts to actually sign Blankenburg. Brendan Brisson was the team’s 50th NHL contract, effectively precluding another signing unless someone goes.

So, why bring in Blankenburg if there’s really no room at the NHL level?

There might be something else at play here. Perhaps the Maple Leafs are concerned that Chris Tanev might not be ready for the season. And if that’s the case, there will suddenly be a spot on the blueline that will need attention. And it just so happens that Blankenburg is a right-shot D-man and can play both sides.

Now, I’ve talked about Ben Danford getting that chance. And he most likely could. But having an experienced guy like Blankenburg hanging around could be a smart move.

Maple Leafs may be looking to trade someone

The other possibility I see happening here is that the Maple Leafs may be getting ready to trade someone. The chatter has been almost exclusively about Morgan Rielly. And while there may not be a move happening there, who says there will never be?

Now, I’m not saying that a Rielly trade could be imminent. But what if the Leafs are just hedging their bets? What if this is the type of move aimed at giving the team cover in case there is a sudden move?

Beyond Tanev not being ready to start the season and Rielly being traded, the Leafs need depth. Jake McCabe has missed time every so often, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is getting a bit older, and Emil Andrae and Troy Stecher are mildly iffy.

So, a low-cost, low-risk solution like Blankenburg makes sense. In the worst of cases, Blankenburg has a great camp and ends up catching the eye of another team needing help right away. The Maple Leafs could release him so that he could sign with another club.

That happens all the time.

If not, Blankenburg and the Leafs will shake hands and walk away.

John Chayka deserves credit because these are the types of under-the-radar moves the team needs to make to remain competitive, especially with limited cap space and no trade capital to speak of.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow