Everyone knows the Toronto Maple Leafs need to rebuild their blue-line.
On the recent Leafs Morning Take show episode, Elliotte Friedman made a significant revelation: "Toronto is going to go out to try to get TWO really good defensemen in the UFA market". This news, while not entirely surprising given the Toronto Maple Leafs' need to bolster their backend, clearly indicates the team's commitment to improving.
It's a departure from the past, where the team's approach was more conservative, as evidenced by their reliance on Ilya Lybushkin and Joel Edmundson at the trade deadline.
Friedman's remarks hint that the MaLeafs aim for the cream of the crop in the UFA market: Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Brandon Montour, Brett Pesce, and Sean Walker.
The prospect of these players joining the team is exciting and potentially game-changing. Friedman's concluding statement, "The Leafs will be a force when it comes to (signing) some of those names," teases the potential for a more formidable defence, a prospect sure to ignite the interest of Leafs fans.
Friedman also said that the Maple Leafs had shown interest in Carolina Hurricanes' Brady Skeji and Los Angeles Kings' Matt Roy as backup plans as they are set to become unrestricted free agents.
While all seven of these guys would improve the Maple Leafs blueline from where it was last year, I want to talk about which two would fit best in the blue and white next season.