Sheldon Keefe has Some Words for Maple Leafs Defenseman

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Graham Montgomery
March 10, 2024 (10:26)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were relatively quite this year at the trade deadline. However, the team did add one key defenseman that Sheldon Keefe is a big fan of.

The head coach addressed the media this morning. Among the topics he discussed was the team's addition of Joel Edmundson. He had nothing but good things to say about the veteran blueliner.

"I just think he gives us an additional option on defense. He is a guy who can help us protect our net. He adds a different dimension in terms of the size and strength he brings to the backend. He brings penalty-kill help, leadership, and experience. You can never have enough of that.

He is a guy who has been through it. He is unique and different from the group that we have in terms of size and presence. Talking to him today, he is excited to join us and we're certainly excited to have him."

Edmundson doesn't bring much offense to the table, but he does bring some winning experience to a team that lacks it. Perhaps his presence will help the team's core players figure out how to do well in the playoffs.

Anything he can do at all will be of great assistance as the Leafs have not had much success in the playoffs in the core-four era. The team has just one playoff series victory which came last year. They then proceeded to get dominated by the Florida Panthers in five games in the second round.

Now it seems as though Brad Treliving wants to see this core do something in the playoffs before he invests more assets into improving the team. It is a bold strategy, one that could backfire on the team.

"Let's be clear on the messaging... I feel we have enough in here to get where we need to get to, but it's up to the group that's in here."

While the team made a few other additions at the deadline, none of them really move the needle that much. If the team is able to find any success, it will be because the top guys are playing well. Whether or not that are capable of doing that over an extended playoff run remains to be seen.

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