David Pagnotta lured Goldwater over any heated speculation over the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson as rumours start growing.
The Maple Leafs need a true shutdown defender right now, or at the very least someone who can come in for Chris Tanev and provide the level of defensive help necessary to keep the rest of the NHL at bay.
They don't necessarily have the best defensive group but they are doing what they can, but injuries and age are getting to be a factor and the team needs to make sure they have enough insurance and reinforcements heading into a very tough postseason push.
Maple Leafs may have no shot at Edvinsson
Edvinsson would be the perfect solution for the Maple Leafs and there have been several rumours about the Red Wings blue liner coming over to restart his career up north, however there has been no prospective deal as of yet, and one insider believes there won't ever be a trade:
Toronto poked around, I don't think that's gonna happen.
David Pagnotta appeared on Daily Faceoff Live and shut down any potential rumours involving the Maple Leafs and Edvinsson, a huge hit to any hopes that fans may have of adding the staunch defender to their roster.
Edvinsson, 23, is a no nonsense type of defender who isn't afraid to block shots, hit opponents and be that sandpaper the team needs to not only get better on the back end, but give them the youth and mobility they desperately need.
You aren't getting an offensive machine in Edvinsson, so the responsibility still lies on Darren Raddysh and Morgan Rielly to get things going but his presence will certainly make their lives a lot easier so they can focus on being the offensive part of the defense corps.
Toronto's cost to afford Edvinsson may reach unseen heights
Toronto really should be conscious though about trading for Edvinsson if the price starts to creep up though. Talks about Ben Danford, and a slew of draft picks would certainly be enticing to Shawn Horcoff, but it's hard to know exactly where his head lies when it comes to a rebuild.
Danford would be another young shutdown player the Red Wings would thrust into the lineup, and while he's a very solid prospect, it's at least better than if they asked for Easton Cowan. Toronto can't afford to trade him away, and it would be better to make no deal at all than risk losing him.
If the Red Wings start their offer at Danford, then Toronto needs to do everything in their power to make sure that it stays there if they want to consider a deal. Anything more than that and draft picks could cause some serious issues for the Maple Leafs, and John Chayka can't rush things despite being a very active GM.
There's a lot riding on whether or not the Red Wings are going to deal Edvinsson, but a fair share of it comes down to who they are going to get in return and for Toronto it can't be anyone they'll regret trading - and Easton Cowan tops that list.
Do you think the Maple Leafs still have a shot at Simon Edvinsson?
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