The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of things going for them this season. Goaltender Frederik Andersen is in the midst of his best season in the NHL, with a .922 save percentage and leading the NHL in games played, shots faced, saves and minutes. The offense, led by the trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner has been effective, if a little inconsistent at times. Morgan Rielly has come into his own as a bonafide top pairing option, and Ron Hainsey has been more than they could have expected, turning in quality minutes at even strength and leading the league in short-handed ice time.
Beyond that top pairing though, there remains questions on whether or not the Maple Leafs blueline is good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup. Jake Gardiner has seemingly taken a step backwards this season, and Nikita Zaitsev is still out for some time with a foot injury. Many have speculated that the Maple Leafs would eventually enter the market for rental defensemen, linking them to players like Erik Gudbranson, Ian Cole and Mike Green among others.
Recently though, the Maple Leafs promoted young defensive prospect Travis Dermott and tonight he’ll move up in the lineup and skate alongside Gardiner on the team’s second pairing. That gives them another option going forward, and perhaps enough depth to sit tight as the trade deadline approaches. Bob McKenzie was asked about how Toronto feels about their defense corps today on TSN radio, and he reiterated something he’s been saying all season:
I said it before and I’ll say it again. There is a part of me that believes that the Leafs are relatively content, in the absence of something coming up that absolutely makes sense and is the perfect fit…
…I would be really surprised if the Leafs picked up a defenseman on an expiring contract–I guess they could–for future considerations. I think they’re probably in an ideal world looking at something longer term, and as I said those are difficult to come up with. Maybe, what you see is what you get.
Unless Dermott immediately makes an impact for the team, it’s likely that the Maple Leafs will continue to be questioned on their defensive ability. But at this point in the season they’re already 11 points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings for third place in the Atlantic, and appear destined for a playoff spot with little trouble. Whether they’ll be able to win once they get there is still unclear, but with the quick-strike offense and several blooming stars up front it would be an uneasy matchup for any team in the Eastern Conference.
The problem is…Will Dermott make the immediate impact they need and if not, how long are they willing to stand idly by as the deadline approaches?
Keep in mind, this regime is likely not going with a rental unless they’re confident he’s part of the rebuild and can easily be signed in the offseason. I doubt a rental is what they’ll go for anyway. They’d want some control and it would have to be someone with that win now factor!
The only move on the defense I see Lou making would be for more depth as a buffer for younger guys like Dermott. Someone along the times of Franson (now on waivers). A low-risk, low-price move.
How about a waiver claim on franson ?
He can’t be worse than Carrick and is RH which is desperately needed in Toronto
OH yes he is. Why do you think the Hawks released him