The Toronto Maple Leafs officially inked defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year deal on Sunday.
The contract comes as a just reward for the 28-year-old. The former Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche player joined the Leafs on a Professional Tryout (PTO) this offseason. And he didn’t waste his opportunity.
While the club’s blue line is pretty much set, Toronto needed something crucial: Depth. That’s precisely what Blankenburg delivers.
He’s a right-shot and can play both sides. He provides cover in case anyone goes down with an injury this season, while coming at a very modest price of $1.4 million.
To be fair, the PTO was a bit of a formality for Blankenburg. When the Leafs signed him, they were at the maximum of 50 NHL contracts. So, they couldn’t sign him even if they wanted to. But now, there is room for one more NHL contract, and so that means Blankenburg can officially join the team.
The news comes in the final hours when clubs have to submit their final rosters for the beginning of the season. While at this point Blankenburg might not be more than a seventh defenseman, he could very well become a highly valuable piece for the organization this season.
Nick Blankenburg could still vie for spot on third pairing
One of the things to keep an eye on is the third pairing for the Maple Leafs. At the moment, the projected third pairing figures to be Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher. Ekman-Larsson looks set in that role. But it’s Stecher who could be in tight. He was a good marine last season, filling in a major hole when injuries ravaged the Leafs’ blue line.
But this season, Stecher could face some serious competition from Blankenburg.
Blankenburg isn’t exactly the biggest or most physical guy. However, he’s physical enough and delivers a solid offensive upside that Stecher just doesn’t have. That’s why you have to think that if Stecher struggles, coach Jim Hiller might just decide to give Blankenburg a shot on the third pairing. At that point, Blankenburg might just unseat Stecher.
There’s also another angle to consider. The Maple Leafs might be comfortable in rolling with a rotation in that third pairing. A rotation, especially with back-to-backs and the extended 84-game season, might actually work well for Toronto as they look to keep some of the veteran defensemen fresh throughout the grind of the season.
Let’s see where this goes. The likeliest outcome is that Blankenburg provides the insurance that the Maple Leafs just didn’t have last season. If and when injuries become an issue, the Leafs will be in a good spot with Blankenburg on the roster.
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