The Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line is better than I thought it would be, but it pretty clearly is missing the main thing needed for NHL success: an elite, top-of-the-lineup option for the blue-line.
Which is why I think the Toronto Maple Leafs should set their sights on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski.
Werenski would be expensive and risky.
But I think he would very much be worth the risk. And, besides that, options for this position are extremely limited. Sure, the Leafs could trade Mitch Marner for Moritz Seider, or something similarly crazy, and maybe Noah Dobson becomes available, but it's doubtful.
Werenski though? it's logical at least that he'd be available.
Why Zach Werenski is the perfect fit to be the Maple Leafs new number-one D-man
Motive
The Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line is, at best, middle-of-the-pack. While Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe have formed a very successful shut-down unit, and OEL is holding his own in the top-four, this is, at best, a very precarious balance that the Leafs must maintain.
The Leafs blue-line is not only old, but it has no elite option and it lacks upside. There is also a very frightening lack of depth - sure people say they are deep, but in reality, having Phillipe Myers isn't going to help you if Tanev or McCabe go down with an injury, which they are extremely likely to do.
Tanev and McCabe have a lot of miles on their bodies, while OEL is best suited to playing on the third pairing at this point of his career. Morgan Rielly is still pretty great, but he is, at best, an elite number-two.
Simon Benoit is terrible and playing him with Jani Hakanpaa is just not a very good option.
In order to go from a handful of teams that could win the Stanley Cup to one of the few who should win the Stanley Cup the Leafs need to get a defenseman who can push everyone else on their depth chart down one notch. You simply cannot be a top team without an elite defenseman and the Leafs know this is their "missing piece."
The motive for the Leafs seems pretty clear.