Time Is Running Out to Make the Toronto Maple Leafs a Serious Contender

General manager Brad Treliving has had a year to assess the Leafs roster. His moves over this offseason and next will determine whether the team can capitalize on a dwindling window for a championship.

Jun 1, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CANADA; Toronto Maple Leafs new general manager Brad Treliving is introduced at a press conference at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

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Major Additions Needed For the Leafs Defense

Building a solid defense remains the Maple Leafs biggest need. It was their biggest weakness last regular season.

The Leafs entered the playoffs with one of the worst blue-lines out of any team that made it. They were slow, poor at moving the puck, and lacking any star players.

Morgan Rielly leads the Leafs on the blue-line, but he's lucky if he's in the top 20-30 defenseman in the NHL. The Leafs blue-line needs a better number-one, better depth, and better puck-movers.

The current depth chart of Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, and Conor Timmins leaves much to be desired.

A decision must also be made on restricted free agent Timothy Liljegren. The Leafs need two defensemen to join Rielly and McCabe on the top pairings.

Brady Skjei, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Brandon Montour are available this summer. In 2025, Victor Hedman and Aaron Ekblad are the biggest names available, but it's doubtful their current teams will let them go.

The best move is for Treliving to sign at least one of those big-ticket defensemen this summer.

The good news is that the Maple Leafs have many options and flexibility to fix their defense and goaltending. The bad news is that the Leafs have lots to do, and the clock is ticking.

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