Toronto Maple Leafs Interested in Every Single Blue-Liner on the Market
The Toronto Maple Leafs have their eyes set on trying to acquire two stud defensemen this off-season.
Friedman appeared on the Leafs Morning Take and said he believes the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in acquiring at least one top defenseman but will try for two if they can.
With the NHL free agency period fast approaching, the speculation has begun, and the Leafs are at the forefront.
According to Friedman, the defensemen who are believed to be at the top of Treliving's wish list are Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Brandon Montour, Brett Pesce, and Sean Walker.
Now, landing one of these defensemen would be a great pickup for the Leafs. Finding a way to get two of them would be incredible. It would erase the botched signing of John Klingberg last off-season.
The Leafs defense was not good enough and hasn't been since Muzzin, Rielly and Brodie were all in their primes and healthy.
The Leafs greatest needs this off-season are defense and goaltending.
However, landing a stud defenseman looks like it will be easier to do than finding a star goaltender, at least through free-agency. With close to $19 million in available salary cap space, Treliving should do whatever it takes to sign two of the aforementioned defensemen.
Nikita Zadorov
Nikita Zadorov is a 29-year-old left-shooting defenseman who could help the Leafs by bolstering their second defense pairing.
He can play both right and left sides. Zadorov averages 18 minutes a night and uses his big body to wear down the opponent. He is great at defending the rush, and isn't shy about joining it going back the other way.
Zadorov registered six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 75 games this season, split between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
He also registered 68 blocked shots and 177 hits. He is well known to Leafs GM Brad Treliving from his time with the Flames. That might make signing him easier. Zadorov has a career total of 47 goals and 99 assists for 146 points in 642 games. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
Adding Zadorov would help the Leafs maintain a physical blueline, especially if Joel Edmundson or Ilya Lyubushkin leave in free agency. He is a huge upgrade over those guys. If one or both of them leave, the Leafs would become much less physical. Zadorov could fill that need as well as help out in the playoffs. He recorded four goals and four assists for eight points in 13 playoff games for the Canucks this season.
Zadorov is coming off a deal with a $3.75 million salary cap hit. He will easily earn $5 million or more in the free-agent market, but maybe Treliving can convince him to take a little less. We'll see what happens starting on July 1st, 2024. (All salary cap info from capfriendly.com)
Brandon Montour
Brandon Montour could be the right-shooting defenseman that the Leafs have needed for years. He could be the perfect partner for Morgan Rielly on the Leafs top defense pairing.
Montour has a combination of offensive skills and is a heavy hitter.
Montour registered eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points in 66 games this season. He also registered 67 blocked shots and 104 hits. Over the past two seasons, Montour has averaged over 23 minutes of ice time a game.
He should be able to slide into the Leafs top defense pair with no problem. Montour has a career total of 66 goals and 186 assists for 252 points in 520 games over eight seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, and Florida Panthers.
One important stat to point out is Montour's 50 power-play points over the last two seasons. Adding him to the Leafs power play could solve their power-play struggles. He also has a good amount of playoff experience.
Montour has recorded 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in 67 playoff games. He is still battling in the 2024 NHL playoffs with the Florida Panthers. He and the Panthers are two wins away from becoming Stanley Cup champions.
Montour is 30 years old and coming off a deal with a $3.5 million salary cap hit. Acquiring Montour will not be cheap as he will be looking for a multi-year contract and one last big payday.
A good bet is that he will want $6 million a season or higher. The Leafs can afford it, especially with the salary cap going up higher than expected to $88 million.
Sean Walker
Sean Walker is a 29-year-old right-shooting defenseman who could help the Leafs on their top defense pair if they're unable to sign Montour. He is my second choice for playing on the top pair, but my third choice overall behind Zadorov and Montour.
He could be a good fit as Morgan Rielly's defense partner. Walker is offensively gifted but also blocks shots and hits. His takeaways/giveaways ratio was much improved this season, with 41 takeaways compared to 25 giveaways.
Walker registered ten goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 81 games this season, split between the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche.
He also registered 127 blocked shots and 118 hits. Walker averaged over 19 minutes of ice time a game this season. He should be able to handle being on the Leafs top defense pair with no problem. Walker has a career total of 26 goals and 70 assists for 96 points in 313 games over six seasons.
Adding Walker could help the Leafs power play. The Avalanche haven't used him on the power play much, but the Leafs could benefit from having him on theirs. The Leafs should have a different-looking power play this season under their new head coach, Craig Berube.
Walker is coming off a deal with a $2.65 million salary cap hit. He will likely want a raise in what could be his last chance at a big payday. A multi-year deal with a price tag of around $4 million is likely what the Leafs would need to offer.
Chris Tanev
Chris Tanev is a 34-year-old right-shooting defenseman who could help the Leafs on their first or second defense pairing.
Tanev averages 19-20 minutes a night and is a good shot blocker. He is a stay-at-home defensive defenseman, so it would be wise to pair him with a puck-moving defense partner like Morgan Rielly or Timothy Liljegren.
He registered two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 75 games this season, split between the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars. He also registered 207 blocked shots and 45 hits. He is well known to Leafs GM Brad Treliving from his time with the Flames. That might make signing him easier. Tanev has a career total of 33 goals and 157 assists for 190 points in 792 games.
The Leafs will lose veteran defenseman Mark Giordano in free agency or retirement. Tanev would be a much-needed shot blocker with Giordano gone. Tanev's shot-blocking would be helpful in the playoffs. He recorded two assists in 19 playoff games for the Stars this season, as well as 30 hits and 73 blocked shots.
Tanev is coming off a deal with a $4.5 million salary cap hit which was given to him by Treliving. He could sign for a similar amount or slightly more in free agency. Some teams will be cautious due to his injury history, but I can see Treliving making Tanev an offer. We'll see if Tanev agrees to the offer or decides to play elsewhere.
Brett Pesce
Brett Pesce is a 29-year-old right-shooting defenseman who could help the Leafs on their top defense pairing.
He averages 20-21 minutes a night and is a decent shot blocker. Pesce is a stay-at-home defenseman but is not afraid to jump in when needed. Pairing him with Rielly on the top pair would be a nice addition to the Leafs.
Pesce registered three goals and ten assists for 13 points in 70 games this season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He also registered 113 blocked shots and 25 hits. Pesce has a career total of 39 goals and 159 assists for 198 points in 627 games.
The Leafs will need a good shot-blocker next season with veteran defenseman Mark Giordano in free agency or retirement. Pesce would fill that role and allow Rielly to play more offensively. His career playoff record is five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 57 playoff games.
Pesce is coming off a deal with a $4.025 million salary cap hit. He will receive offers of around $6 million from some teams. I'm not sure if the Leafs will be one of those teams. It will depend on how much Treliving values Pesce over other defensemen. Some teams will be cautious due to his injury history, but I don't see it stopping Treliving from making Pesce an offer.
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Whether Pesce is the only defenseman out of these five that Treliving is able to sign or if he manages to sign two of them, it will be a good off-season for the Leafs.