Maple Leafs Have Short Window to Act as Young Puck-Moving Defenseman Hits Waivers
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
With Sunday's waiver wire seeing 45 names added to the list, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has the perfect chance to add a puck-moving defenseman.
As the regular season approaches, that means teams are down to the last few days before they need to get their rosters finalized, lineups set, and focus on the gruelling 82-game slate ahead of them.
Sunday saw 45 players waived including four from the Toronto Maple Leafs including Michael Pezzetta and Henry Thrun, though it's likely they are going to clear and be sent down to the AHL.
But if the team wanted to add some insurance themselves from the waiver wire, they could certainly take a look at one Calen Addison, whom the New Jersey Devils placed on waivers as well.
Why Calen Addison Could Be Exactly What The Maple Leafs Need
Addison, 25, was drafted 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018 and has quietly put in some solid offensive numbers, mainly with AHL but did have a 29-point campaign in 2022-23 (3 goals, 26 assists) and has 50 points in 152 career games.
That's a huge upgrade over a guy like Thrun or veterans such as Dakota Mermis and at only 25, he's got years to grow.
Plus, with talks about potentially wanting a different face on the blueline instead of Simon Benoit, Addison would offer that new dynamic albeit at the cost of some physicality though it's not like he doesn't hit or block shots.
He would also help Toronto's cap situation a bit, as he only makes $775,000 which is nearly 50% less than Benoit without the additional yearly commitment, and with Ben Danford coming up it might be best to open up as much room as possible for some other free agents.
What the Maple Leafs Would Need to Do to Make Room
Well, they are going to be opening up some space likely by waiving or burying David Kampf's salary somewhere, so that should open up the room, and trading someone like a Calle Jarnkrok would essentially just be swapping out players (they both make the same).
But they would also need to decide what they are going to do with their current logjam of defenders at the AHL level too.
If Mermis, Thrun, and Benning don't clear, that's three spots with several other names (Cade Webber, Noah Chadwick, William Villeneuve, John Prokop etc.) all filling spots; it would be hard to fit him in.
But they could very well find the space somewhere, as Addison would certainly add a new dynamic that the team has been searching for, with the age factor and financial cost only an added benefit to the Maple Leafs.
They just need to get a move on it before Monday's 2pm deadline.
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