The Toronto Maple Leafs Want 2 Top UFA Defensemen - Which 2 Should They Sign?
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.
The Two Defensemen The Maple Leafs Should Target In Free Agency
Brett Pesce
While there may be better or more skilled defencemen on the market, Pesce would be the perfect guy to pair with Morgan Reilly on the top pairing.
If you have spent any time watching the Maple Leafs over the last few years, you would see Reilly consistently jump up in a rush and roam a lot on the offensive end, looking to create offence. While this is a valuable asset in defencemen, it has hurt the Leafs over the years as they have never had a shutdown defensive defencemen.
Pesce is a perfect fit, ranking in the top five percent of defensemen in defensive zone entry denial rate, possession entry prevention rate, and defensive zone retrieval success rate (via JFreshHockey).
While he may not be an elite puck mover, he can consistently clear the puck from his end and contribute to the offence once in the offensive zone. His style of play aligns well with the Leafs' needs, making him a strong contender for the team.
The concern with Pesce is the terms of the contract. Friedman suggested that Pesce had turned down a five-year, five-million-dollar extension and said he thinks Pecse is looking for a deal closer to six years at six million dollars per year.
I do not have an issue with Pesce's asking price. Overpaying unrestricted free agents is just the nature of free agency in the NHL if you go after a highly touted player. But the Maple Leafs must be careful with the six years Pesce seeks.
Pesce will turn 30 about a month into this upcoming season; a six-year contract would take him into his age 36/37 season.
The Leafs have to be careful not to get into another T.J. Brodie situation, who made five million dollars and was one of the worst defensemen in the NHL. Pesce may not like it, but three to four years is the sweet spot for this contract.
Sean Walker
Walker is a stat nerd's (like myself) dream defenseman.
Walker had an elite offensive season last year despite only tallying 29 points. He ranked among the top 10 percent of defensemen in offensive WAR, goals, scoring chances and rush offence. Walker also had some elite metrics on the defensive side, ranking in the top 25 percent of defencemen in defensive zone retrievals, retrieval success rate, zone entries, defensive zone exits, entry denial rate and entry chance prevention.
If the Maple Leafs were to sign both Pesce and Walker, I would see Walker playing on the second line alongside Jake McCabe. While McCabe was one of the few bright spots last year, he struggled to make plays after retrieving the puck in the defensive end and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone when the puck came to him.
In both areas, Walker's puck-moving abilities will benefit McCabe and the Maple Leafs. With Walker beside him, McCabe will be able to play more of a balanced game rather than carrying the offensive load of his pairing, which he had to do all last season and have much more support when retrieving pucks.
While I think Nikita Zadorov would also be an excellent option for this second pairing, he is the hottest name on the market right now after shutting down Connor McDavid in the playoffs.
Sean Walker is flying slightly under the radar regarding the top defencemen on the market, and the Maple Leafs may not have to get into a massive bidding war as they may have to with Zadorov. Before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche, it was reported that the Philadelphia Flyers wanted to bring Walker back for four million dollars.
manual
Walker must have told the team that he would not entertain that price as he was dealt with at the deadline. While north of four million dollars is expensive for a guy whose career high in points is 29, he will be a slightly better option financially than a guy like Zadorov, who will get a bag this offseason.