5 Defenseman Toronto Maple Leafs Must Sign In Free Agency

No. 1: Chris Tanev

Chris Tanev is someone who GM Brad Treliving knows very well and who is oviously on their radar since they traded for him Saturday.

At 34-years-old, Tanev is a perfect fit for the Leafs and is the exact player that Treliving is looking for. He's a big-bodied defenseman who can play a physical game, but is also a shot-blocking machine.

He finishes with well over 100 blocked shots each campaign and even finished with 207 blocked shots last year.

By getting in front of every puck, it would put so much less pressure on young goaltender Joseph Woll next year, as Tanev's fantastic defensive abilities will limit offensive opportunities.

During his playoff run with the Stars these past few months, he was the team's best defenseman and was a huge reason why they made it to the Western Conference Finals.

Tanev is also a Toronto kid, which should help the team's case, as they've continued to acquire local players via free agency over the past few years. Money is still an important factor in these decisions but the ties to the city, plus the need for a top-two defenseman should make Tanev very intrigued to play in his hometown.

The Leafs number-one target is obviously Tanev but hopefully the deal isn't to long or expensive.