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Even before the departure of Alexei Marchenko to the KHL, one of the lingering questions from the Toronto Maple Leafs off-season is will they address their defense.
The acquisition of Ron Hainsey via free agency from Pittsburgh was thought to be a lateral move to address the departure of veteran Matt Hunwick to the Penguins, but Leafs head coach Mike Babcock hinted recently that the 36-year-old Cup winner may partner with Morgan Rielly at the start of training camp.
The chances of GM Lou Lamoriello being able to swing a major deal for a top four defenseman before the start of the regular season are slim, which means that Toronto may be willing to explore short term options to solidify their blueline.
On Monday, the Anaheim Ducks re-signed defenseman Francois Beauchemin to a one-year, $1 Million contract. The 37-year-old blueliner becomes a member of the Ducks for the third time and provides some insurance for Randy Carlyle with Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm recovering from shoulder injuries.
The Leafs uncertainty is more about whether youngsters with little or no experience can make to the jump to the NHL this season. Toronto will be looking for one or possibly two spots to be filled by SHL imports Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen, 2017 first round pick Timothy Liljegren or Marlies defenseman Travis Dermott.
With the departure of Marchenko, the Leafs have only two right-handed shooters (Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Carrick) who will likely be a part of their 23-man roster. That could mean that Lamoriello is interested in buying some insurance in case his young blueliners are not ready by October.
Professional tryouts to veterans like Cody Franson or Dennis Wideman are within the realm of possibility, but a more likely option could be the return of Roman Polak to the Leafs fold.
The 31-year-old Czech was a stabilizing force on the Toronto blueline last season and was elevated to a top-four role during the playoffs, but suffered a season-ending leg injury in Game 2 vs. Washington.
Agent Allan Walsh showed via Twitter that his client is recovered from his broken leg and told TSN’s
Kristen Shilton that Polak is now focusing on looking for a new contract.
The Leafs do need a veteran safety net in case their young blueliners are not ready and Babcock is comfortable with Polak, in spite of his speed limitations. The rugged blueliner made $2.25 Million on a one-year contract last season and based on most of the contracts signed by veteran forwards and defensemen over the last few weeks, Polak will likely have to take a pay cut to get a one-year contract.
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