For years the Maple Leafs faked a bottom-six and this summer they built a real one

The Maple Leafs never truly built a bottom-six and it's cost them more than they'd like to admit, so John Chayka decided he needed to revamp the entire thing.

Toronto didn't really mess around on the first day of free agency as they made a total of six signings and two trades which saw the team completely revamp their lineup in a very short amount of time.

The biggest fish of the day was Sergei Bobrovsky and the trade for Nick Paul was a pleasant surprise that could be a huge asset down the line.

Though the majority of the signings were more depth, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Toronto's bottom-six hasn't exactly been the defensive spark the team has needed and the rotation of players who range from playmakers to enforcers is pretty vast and there was never a true identity.

Toronto's bottom-six undergoes a complete defensive makeover on day one of free agency

John Chayka said that wasn't acceptable and did everything in his power to change that on Wednesday.

Chayka managed to sign three players and acquire one more to revamp the bottom six as they brought in some seriously speedy and defensive players. Colton Sissons came in on a two-year deal, as did Teddy Blueger. Brandon Duhaime was signed to a three-year pact, and the team dealt Dennis Hildeby away for Nick Paul.

Those four players are going to instantly make a difference defensively, and if the Maple Leafs were lacking in centres before then they certainly aren't now. Blueger, Sissons, Paul and Jack Roslovic can all play centre, with the former three being above average to elite in the circle, while also providing a lot more toughness and physicality.

But the most important thing the team added was speed. All those players (minus Blueger) were in the upper echelon of the NHL in skating speed and with the team desperate to be more mobile it makes sense.

This also helps immensely with the transition offence, as those defensive players can not only get the puck out of the zone easier based off their checking ability, but they have the speed to carry the puck out and make quick changes to allow the stronger offensive players to capitalize.

The bottom-six went from Calle Jarnkrok and Matias Maccelli to an actual proven bottom-six

What a difference a year makes. Let's be honest, it hasn't been a good bottom-six for a long time and the fact Toronto used names like Nick Robertson, Matias Maccelli, Max Domi and others as checking options is bizarre. They had Pontus Holmberg but just let him walk as he signed with Tampa and was a crucial 3C.

They traded Fraser Minten for Brandon Carlo and he could have easily slotted in as the two-way force Toronto needed. They brought in Nick Foligno years ago but injuries prevented him from doing anything, and Calle Jarnkrok fell off cliff after cliff.

Now they have an identity and as Justin Bourne put it best, they have their role and know what they need to be:

Thing I like about Leafs new bottom-6 is that it knows what it is. PK, check, do it right...Can skate, bigger, just more predictable.

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Predictable sounds bad but it's exactly what you want from your bottom-six. You want to know when they step on the ice that things ramp up physically and if the team is struggling defensively, they can be shutdown options while the rest of the team claws their way back.

They're also genuinely huge now as Sissons, Blueger, Paul and Duhaime are all over six feet tall with Paul coming in at a towering 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. These guys are huge, play huge, and are going to be frustrating for opponents.

That's what your checking line is supposed to do. You take away chances, you balance things out and let your stars take advantage of the situations you created through sheer grit and determination.

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