With the Leafs season wrapping up early yet again, all eyes are now on Brad Treliving and Brendan Shanahan. What will the team do in the offseason? One rumor is that they will move Mitch Marner. If they do so, Elliotte Friedman believes the team will look to add on the blueline.
Specifically, Friedman said that the Leafs are considering two top-tier unrestricted free agents this offseason. They are Brandon Montour from the Florida Panthers and Brett Pesce from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Montour followed that up with a career year in 2022-23, potting 16 goals and 73 points. This year he regressed back to his previous marks, scoring 33 points in 66 games. Regardless, he's still proven to be a valuable two-way defenseman who can be physical as well. That is exactly what the Leafs need on the back end.
That being said, the Leafs' cap situation is rather difficult. If they trade Marner though, that could open the door to some serious and much-needed improvements on the backend. We'll just have to see what the summer has in store for us.
