Insider outlines what Brad Treliving is still trying to add to the Maple Leafs' core
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Hockey Insider David Pagnotta recently said that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is still working hard to improve the core of this roster.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs face a five-game losing streak -- the first since 2021 -- the team is going through an identity crisis where their defense is giving up too many chances and have let their opponents comeback to win twice in a row.
There's a lot that needs improvement for Toronto, and the focus needs to lie on two separate though equally important areas, that being a top-six forward and a puck-moving defenseman.
It's an issue that could make or break their season depending on their response, and as analysts discuss who could be brought in, David Pagnotta has shown just how urgent things are.
Why a top-six forward is still on the Maple Leafs' shopping list
Hockey Insider David Pagnotta mentioned on Daily Faceoff Live that Toronto's search for a top-six forward has continued through this season, and will only be finished once they find a player.
Pagnotta's comments underline that the team's need for a puck-moving defenseman is no longer just a luxury:
Brad Treliving's looking for a top six guy and that goes back to the offseason, and I think the realisation that they need a legitimate puckmover from the blueline is starting to sink in.
The team has no issues scoring but with an injury to Auston Matthews, and without an additional supporting player like Mitch Marner; they are going to need to upgrade.
That brings them to several names who have been discussed by various analysts around the NHL.
Nazem Kadri, Nick Schmaltz, and Steven Stamkos are three names that have come up in other recent discussions around the league, though Pagnotta did not specifically connect any of them to this latest update.
But all three are impactful players who can add extra offense into the lineup, and in the cases of Kadri and Stamkos -- two Stanley Cup winners.
The depth players like Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Max Domi have not produced to the level the team needs them to, and they'd be much worse off if it wasn't for their stars picking up the slack.
Why a true puck-moving defenseman has gone from luxury to necessity in Toronto
Even more than a forward, they need someone who can even facilitate the offense to begin with and that starts with a puck-moving defensemen.
The team relies solely on two players to generate offense on the blueline: Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
While both men are more than capable of passing the puck, there's no one else who can drive the offense forward. The team is a big, heavy, and slow group of defensemen.
They have internal options available to them which is why it can be somewhat confusing as to them keeping up Dakota Mermis as opposed to giving a player like William Villeneuve or Henry Thrun -- the return in the Ryan Reaves deal -- a shot.
Not counting Saturday's game vs. Chicago, the team has 35 assists from their defenseman but the trio of Rielly, Ekman-Larsson, and Jake McCabe have combined for 29 of them.
That's nearly 83% of their offense from the blueline, and names from the past like TJ Brodie and Timothy Liljegren are long gone.
The team has been linked to Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson but there is nothing concrete so far, but history has shown Toronto covets him.
The team already made some strides to improve as they claimed Troy Stecher off waivers from the Oilers on Saturday, and he will more than likely be given a chance to help with the puck-moving burden Toronto is trying to address.
You can't rely solely on three players in a six-player contingent and though the team will get Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo back eventually; they aren't needle movers either.
So there are two places the Maple Leafs need to improve on if they want to turn their season around, and though reports show the team is working hard; it's still going to be an uphill battle to bring in who they need.
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