Be sure to like HockeyBuzz on facebook! For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs hope that they have addressed their issues on defense this offseason with the additions of TJ Brodie, Zach Bogosian, and Mikko Lehtonen, but they are also depending on internal improvements to upgrade their blueline. Morgan Rielly will be looking to bounce back after battling injuries last season and get back to the form that saw him score a career-high 72 points in 2019, while the usually durable Jake Muzzin hopes to stay off the injured list after missing 17 regular-season games and most of the playoffs. GM Kyle Dubas believes that the Leafs have finally found the right top-pairing partner for Rielly in Brodie and that Muzzin and Justin Holl can continue to grow as a shutdown pairing, but will also need to get dependable performances out of Bogosian, Lehtonen, Travis Dermott, and sophomore Rasmus Sandin. The former third overall pick signed a one-year, $1 million deal and will look to fill the same role as a stable, tough defender on the right side and penalty killer that he did for Tampa during their Cup run. Lehtonen won the KHL’s Defenseman of the Year in 2019 and scored at a point-per-game pace with Jokerit this season, but has yet to prove his worth in North America. Dermott led Toronto blueliners in plus/minus (+14) but has not raised his game to the level many expected and took a one-year prove-it deal. Sandin got a look at the beginning of the season and was recalled in January when Rielly and Muzzin were out. The Leafs 2018 top pick flashed the tools that had him voted the top defenseman at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Tournament, but his 28 games also showed that he was not strong enough to win puck battles consistently against NHL forwards.
December Days#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/3QlXZEUCiD
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 10, 2020
Podcast time with NJ & MIB.
— The Leafs Convo (@TheLeafsConvo2) December 6, 2020
Enjoy!!@MikeInBuffalo @mapleleafsaggr @IamNormanJames #theleafsconvo #tmltalk #nhl #LeafsForever https://t.co/Ev5fyl9XAK