Toronto Maple Leafs Add Joel Edmundson But It's Not Enough

Colton Parayko

Colton Parayko is a big 6'6", 228 Lbs right-shooting defenseman. The 30-year-old would give the Leafs a solid defense partner for Morgan Rielly on the top defense pairing. Parayko is averaging 23:55 minutes of ice time this season. He has registered nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 62 games. However, the offense is only a small part of his overall game. He has 83 hits, 165 blocked shots, and 52 takeaways compared to 33 giveaways.
(All stats from hockey-reference.com)

Adding Parayko to a Leafs blueline that already has Simon Benoit, Jake McCabe, Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin would make the Leafs end of the ice a not-so-nice place to be.

Having four or five defensemen willing to play the hard physical style that is required in the playoffs is something the Leafs need at their disposal. Punish the other team every time they enter the Leafs zone and make them think twice and keep their heads on a swivel.

At a certain point however, mobility and puck-moving abilities matter, and Parayko may no longer be a fit with what the Leafs have. However, he is a great skater and extremely mobile. He could revive his career with the Leafs, and either Lyubushkin or Benoit can come off the bench if necessary. This would still be a major upgrade.

There are two problems facing the Leafs in any attempt to acquire Parayko. First, he has a no-trade clause in his contract. The St. Louis Blues would need to get Parayko to agree to the trade before they can make it. Hopefully, the St. Albert, Alberta native will agree to a trade to the Leafs.

Second, Parayko is signed until the end of the 2029-30 season with a salary cap hit of $6.5 million. He will be 36 when the contract expires. For a contract that long, it's very unlikely that the Blues will be willing to retain any of his salary. The Leafs will need to be creative.
(Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)