Be sure to like HockeyBuzz on facebook! For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make major improvements to their blueline this offseason, moves that many believe have been necessary for a number of years. As to who GM Kyle Dubas is targeting is anyone’s guess, but it is likely that if the Leafs opt for a defenseman not named Alex Pietrangelo, the trade will take place this weekend or leading up to the 2020 NHL Draft next Tuesday and Wednesday. Dubas has been bolder than predecessor Lou Lamoriello in addressing the needs on the blueline, acquiring veteran Jake Muzzin from Los Angeles for two prospects and a 2019 first-round pick last year, adding Tyson Barrie in a deal that sent Nazem Kadri to Colorado in July 2019, and bringing in Cody Ceci in a multi-player deal with Ottawa. In each of these trades, the Leafs added a defenseman who you could describe as an extended rental for a lesser price based on the limited-term left on his contract. The Muzzin deal has to be considered a success since the Cup winner has played well in 1½ seasons with Toronto and signed a four-year extension last spring. Acquiring Barrie was a bad fit based on his not gelling with former head coach Mike Babcock and being primarily an offensive defenseman, which is not the type of help they needed. The acquisition of Ceci was a half-measure based on his history with the Sens and the price that the Leafs had to pay to rid themselves of one of Lamoriello’s biggest mistakes; the seven-year extension of Nikita Zaitsev. Entering his third season as Leafs GM, Dubas must come up with a long-term solution that upgrades the defense in the window where John Tavares and Muzzin are in their prime, and Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly are under contract. Unless Dubas finds a way to take advantage of a club with financial issues (which appears to be the case with Arizona actively shopping Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Boston and Vancouver), that necessary upgrade falls under the description of “no risk no reward…. It means trading William Nylander, Andreas Johnsson, Alex Kerfoot, and/or Frederik Andersen to get that help or to clear cap room to sign a free agent, but it is something that Toronto must do or they will continue being a flawed club that did not have the right pieces to achieve success. *******
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