Rugged Bottom-Six Forward Emerging as Smart PTO Option for Maple Leafs

While Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs signing a flurry of free agents this summer, none of them have really jumped off the page in terms of a top-six forward, however they've made tons of depth additions that will hopefully add some grit and a lot more passion.

The team needs to get a little tougher, and though they had Ryan Reaves; he wasn't the best choice to bring that every night.

They already added Michael Pezzetta, who is expected to quickly endear himself to Leafs fans, but they could always do with some more punch (sometimes literally).

So with the minimal names available on the market, who could Brad Treliving target to bring in some physicality, toughness and a no-nonsense attitude?

One name that springs to mind is Nathan Bastian. While not a household name by any stretch, he certainly has the size, grit, and defensive capabilities to help Toronto's fourth line.

Standing 6'4, and weighing 205 pounds, Bastian is a physical force on the ice, and he loves to hit; a Craig Berube special. Plus, he's got some goal-scoring potential and brings about as much offense as David Kampf and more than names like Calle Jarnkrok.

Drafted 41st overall by the Devils in 2016, he found his way into the lineup as part of New Jersey's bottom-six and carved out a niche for being a nuisance to play against.

Toronto doesn't need to commit to him right away, and they can do the same with Bastian as they did with Steven Lorentz and Max Pacioretty last summer. Sign him to a PTO, let him play the preseason out and see if he can fit in with Scott Laughton and Lorentz down low while Treliving moves David Kampf out.

Bastian, 26, played in 59 games for the Devils last season, scoring 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) while adding 138 hits and 31 PIM; for his career he has 68 points in 276 games (33 goals, 35 assists).

Giving him a six-game audition during the preseason (he doesn't need to play all six, mind you) would be a great way to gauge how he gels with the current group and if Craig Berube sees any promise in him.

He can easily translate that into a deal if he plays well enough, and as we saw with Pacioretty and Lorentz, potentially make a big impact.

Brad Treliving doesn't have a lot of options left that won't cost a fortune, but bringing in Bastian should give him another weapon to let Craig Berube add more grit to his lineup.