When Brad Treliving opened Toronto Maple Leafs training camp on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, he talked about the roster moves that he made the past offseason and the impact that they will have on the team. He was first asked if his defensive core was good enough to win a Stanley Cup, and he answered, “We’ll see. I like our defence, I think it’s underrated.”
He also talked about his defence core heading into this season and how it differs from his past defensive cores that he had with the Calgary Flames, saying, “Like all parts of our team, tomorrow we start watching, and you know, there’s going to be some areas we really like, there’s going to be some areas we got to improve upon, and that’s what I plan to do, watch and see where we can help ourselves, and that process starts tomorrow.”
If we look at how the Maple Leafs’ defence core differs from his time in Calgary, the biggest thing that stands out is size. The Flames have big, tough, hard-to-play-against but also mobile defencemen, whereas the Maple Leafs lack the size and hard-to-play-against aspect on the backend. So, if we take what Treliving said, we can look to see how he can improve the blue line early on in the season by taking a look at three big-bodied defencemen that the Maple Leafs can acquire to add size.
Josh Brown, Arizona Coyotes
Although the Arizona Coyotes may do better this season than they did last season, the team will probably be looking to sell off pieces at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Josh Brown could be one of the players that they look to move on from, and if they do, the Maple Leafs should call Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong and get a deal done. He is an old-fashioned defenceman who embodies everything Treliving likes on his blue line. He loves to throw the body; he blocks shots; and he can also drop the gloves when needed. Last season, he had 118 blocked shots, 152 hits, and seven fights for the Coyotes. If the Maple Leafs were able to acquire him, he would fit on the third pairing to provide a Luke Schenn style of play from last year’s playoff run.
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The Coyotes and the Maple Leafs have made trades in the past, which usually helps get deals done. However, that was with former GM Kyle Dubas; nevertheless, these two teams can easily get a deal done for Brown. He is on an expiring deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.27 million, and depending on what the return is for the Maple Leafs, it could easily fit into their salary cap space.
Predicting trades is always hard, but it is even harder before the regular season starts because of the unknowns of how the player will perform and injuries. However, if the Maple Leafs were to acquire Brown from the Coyotes, it wouldn’t be surprising if it was for a lower-end draft pick and a lower-rated prospect, such as Marshall Rifai.
Nikita Zadorov, Calgary Flames
If Nikita Zadorov becomes available for trade by the Calgary Flames, Treliving will be the first GM to call about him. It wouldn’t be surprising if he hasn’t already called Flames’ GM Craig Conroy regarding Zadorov. Treliving brought him to Calgary in 2021-22 and seemed to love what he brought to his defence core, and that wouldn’t change if he was brought to the Maple Leafs this season. Zadorov would instantly be a fan favourite in Toronto; he brings an element that many fans have been clamouring for, for quite some time.
At 6-foot-6, 248 pounds, Zadorov has a very big body and absolutely loves to use it. Last season, he had 174 hits, 75 blocks, and fought just two times. Again, he would be able to replace the same role that Schenn played last season and provide the physical presence to the back end that they are lacking this season. Zadorov could see himself in the middle of trade rumours this season if the Flames don’t have a good year, and since he is on an expiring contract with an AVV of $3.75 million, he could be on the move.
In terms of an asking price for a trade, it will be higher than it was for Brown. The Maple Leafs will need to part ways with a higher-end draft pick as well as a roster player or higher-tier prospect. It’ll depend on how the Flames season is going and whether or not they are going into a full rebuild or if they are just flipping a few roster players to clear some cap space.
Honourable Mentions: Jarred Tinordi (CHI), Robert Bortuzzo (STL)
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These names may not be the most flashy in the NHL; however, they are all hard-working and tough to play against defencemen who fit the Treliving blueprint. Now, remember, Treliving did say, “We’ll see. I like our defence, I think it’s underrated,” which could just be him giving his current defence core a vote of confidence ahead of the 2023–24 offseason. Nevertheless, if there is a chance to improve his backend to make them harder to play against to match his offseason additions, he will do it. This team is in their win-now window, which means they will do all they can to bring the Stanley Cup back to the city of Toronto for the first time since 1967.
