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It is expected that the Toronto Maple Leafs will make moves to upgrade their defense, but the question before GM Lou Lamoriello is when to strike and who to target. The odds of Toronto acquiring a top-four defensemen before the March 1st Trade Deadline are slim, which makes the NHL Draft or July 1 the opportune time for them to jump into action.
"Let's put it this way: every team has assets and every team has liabilities," the Leafs GM said to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun this week. "And (the Leafs), every day, no different than any other team, do everything you can do get better.
If you have an opportunity to get better, you do. You weigh the pros and cons. If it's not going to make you any better, then you don't do it. You don't do something just for the sake of doing it. That's the only way I can answer a question like that. If there's a way of getting better, we'll get better."
Auston Matthews scores his first goal of the All-Star Game, cheeky turn and snipe pic.twitter.com/qBP813QZ0A
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) January 29, 2017
St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is the name most often mentioned as a possible target, but to acquire the 28-year-old in free agency could cost as much as $7 Million per season on a long term deal.
If we look at some other situations around the league, the Leafs may be able to find their defensive upgrades through taking advantage of teams with expansion and salary cap dilemmas.
Here are a few examples:
The Washington Capitals trio : The Leafs have three possible blueline targets in Karl Alzner, Dmitri Orlov and John Carlson. GM Brian MacLellan has to sign RFA Evgeni Kuznetsov this summer and that could cost him in the $6 Million range as it did for Chicago for Artemi Panarin.
Even though Washington has cap space opening up with the potential departure of TJ Oshie, Justin Williams and Daniel Winnik, they will not be able to re-sign all three defensemen.
MacLellan can navigate through the expansion draft by exposing 36-year-old Brooks Orpik, protecting Matt Niskanen, Carlson and Orlov and waiting until after July 1 to re-sign Alzner, but the 28-year-old free agent could get offers in free agency nearly double the amount of his $2.8 Million salary.
Orlov (who partnered with Leafs rookie Nikita Zaitsev in the World Cup) is two years away from unrestricted free agency and has to be protected or Las Vegas GM George McPhee will gobble him up. After signing a bridge deal two years ago, Orlov will be looking for a long-term deal.
Carlson has one more year left at just under $4 Million and if the Caps re-sign Alzner and Orlov, they will not be able to pay him what he will likely demand.
Minnesota Wild: Even if Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher decides to protect eight skaters in the expansion draft, he will have to expose a couple defensemen of the group that includes Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, Matt Dumba and Christian Folin.
With Mikael Granlund and Nino Neiterreiter in need of new contracts, the Wild may be willing to move out one of their blueliners making in excess of $4 Million to clear cap space and add young assets.
Anaheim Ducks : The Ducks are in a slightly better position than Minnesota, with most of their young defensive prospects exempt from the expansion draft, but Kevin Bieksa’s no movement clause may force them to protect four blueliners (unless they buyout the final year of his contract).
After extending Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen, it is likely that they will attempt to do the same with Cam Fowler. If his price is too high, then GM Bob Murray will shop the 25-year-old defenseman with one year left on his deal.
The Leafs and Anaheim would seem to be a good fit as trade partners, as Toronto has young depth at forward that would help the Ducks up front in exchange for a young defenseman such as Brandon Montour, Jacob Larsson or Shea Theodore.
Jacob Trouba : The Trouba situation is simply on hiatus in Winnipeg. The 22-year-old right-hander would seem to be a perfect fit for Toronto’s top pairing with Morgan Rielly.
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find a perfect fit based on his demand for a top for defensemen return and unless someone like Jake Gardiner would fit that description, the Leafs do not have what Winnipeg is looking for in return.
Brendan Smith: A Toronto native who played under Babcock in Detroit, Smith may be traded at the deadline if the Wings are out of contention and will be a less costly acquisition in free agency than Shattenkirk and Alzner.
Smith was someone that Babcock frequently pulled in and out of the lineup in Detroit, so it is possible that the Leafs head coach would prefer they go elsewhere for defensive help.
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