"Part of having a strong defense is having defensemen that could move the puck readily out of the defensive zone. Not only that, if they could also move the play up the ice and contribute offensively as well, being able to keep the puck in the offensive zone is also a way to defend effectively. The Leafs may have a couple already with Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson leading the way."
"With the San Jose Sharks apparently willing to take trade calls for both defensemen Mario Ferraro and former Leaf Timothy Liljegren, perhaps Toronto can rekindle with their familiar trade partner from the past to bring either one of them to town. Both players can average close to 20 points per season while providing potential clean zone exits in the process."
After a slow 5-5-1 start, the Toronto Maple Leafs lack the speed, unpredictability, and defensive transition that characterized previous seasons. The team appears slow, stagnant and predictable, prompting consideration of roster shakeups and trade options to spark improvement. Adding a third puck-moving defenseman would improve zone exits, offensive zone possession, and complement Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson across all pairings. Targets like Mario Ferraro or Timothy Liljegren could each offer roughly 20 points and clean zone exits. With 42 goals allowed—the sixth-most—enhancing counter-transition ability could reduce time spent hemmed in the defensive zone.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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