With their questionable play and injuries piling up, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in desperate need of help on the blueline. They were interested in signing Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov. He was eventually traded to the Vancouver Canucks, who had the cap space to take on Zadorov’s contract.
During Saturday Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs were unable to reach an agreement that would allow the Flames to keep not only Zadorov, but also Chris Tanev’s salary. Friedman also reports that they are still trying to sign Tanev, a physical, shut-down defender who could be a valuable asset in the top four.
While Tanev is the primary target because he meets many of the Maple Leafs’ requirements for a defenseman, there are some intriguing options that general manager Brad Treliving could consider as potential fits for their backend. Here are three more defenders who could be useful additions.
Carolina Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce
Many Leafs fans have long favored the idea of bringing in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce. It makes sense because he’s the kind of steady, two-way defender the Maple Leafs desperately need.
Even though Pesce wants to stay with the Hurricanes, an extension has yet to be signed, raising the prospect of him being traded if they are unable to reach an agreement. While the Maple Leafs are dealing with salary cap issues, John Klingberg’s future does not appear to be bright. Friedman predicts that he will be done for the season on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast (time: 12:10). If he is placed on long-term injured reserve, his $4.15 million contract opens the door for the team to try to acquire Pesce and his slightly lower $4.025 million cap hit. It has been suggested that the Maple Leafs may also be involved.
For the Hurricanes, Pesce has always been a two-way player. In a shutdown role, he consistently earns important minutes and faces tough competition while still being a factor offensively with his breakout passing and mobility. As his percentage goals from the last three seasons at PuckIQ show, he has always been productive against elite level competition.
| Season | GF% vs. Elite Competition |
| 2020-21 | 57.1 |
| 2021-22 | 60.6 |
| 2022-23 | 56.7 |
There’s also Pesce’s health to consider, as he’s only played an entire 82-game season twice in his nine-year career. Given his defensive mindset, he has been a consistent 20- to 30-point producer, but this season he has only two points in 15 games. He has produced when it comes to moving the puck and making smart plays and could be another T.J. Brodie-type player for the Maple Leafs.
Nick Seeler, Philadelphia Flyers
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Philadelphia Flyers could release two defenders, one of whom is Nick Seeler. The 30-year-old has received consistent playing time over the last few seasons, which has helped his stock as a player.
Seeler, like Tanev, fits the mold of a defensive-minded defenseman with an edge. To this point, he has averaged 14:57 per game at even strength, but he has also been a fixture on the penalty kill, averaging 2:17 per game. He adds a physical element to his game to make him difficult to oppose, finishing sixth in hits for the Flyers last season with 126 and is in that spot again this season with 29 hits. Furthermore, he is not afraid to enter shooting lanes and sacrifice his body, as he leads the team with 67 blocked shots.
Furthermore, Seeler does an excellent job of limiting goals against when he is on the ice. With at least 100 minutes played for the Flyers this season, he’s been on for 12 5-on-5 goals against, ranking third with a 63.64 GF%, and only four high danger goals against, giving him a 76.47 high danger goals for percentage. He’s effective when he’s on the ice, and while his offensive output isn’t always impactful, he’s found the highlight reel before.
Seeler can move up and down the lineup and is a difficult customer to face one-on-one. He’s a player who can make an impact for the Maple Leafs.
Alexandre Carrier, Nashville Predators Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff recently mentioned Nashville Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier as a potential Maple Leafs target. He had a fantastic rookie season with 30 points in 77 games, but Larkin describes him as a “unpredictable commodity” because he has dealt with injuries and hasn’t improved season to season.
Carrier appears to be on the rise, as he is already one point shy of matching his 2022-23 point total in half the time. At 5-on-5 (100 minutes), he has the seventh best expected goal percentage of 55.11 and the tenth best HDCF% of 54.24 for the Predators. Significant improvements over his numbers from last season, when he was just over 50% in both categories. While the Maple Leafs could use more physical presence, such as Seeler, Carrier brings that extra skill from the backend to complement Morgan Rielly.
Overall, he possesses a strong two-way game, as well as excellent mobility and transitional play. Larkin compares him to Brodie, which could be a great addition to help alleviate some of his minutes this season, as he has had some ups and downs. He could be a cheap option to bring in, but he still has some upside if he can return to his rookie season level of play.
The Maple Leafs Have Choices
Even though the Zadorov trade fell through, the Maple Leafs could still be enticed by a number of names. The team must address this position as soon as possible. From inconsistency to losing leads, they need to add players who can play a simple shut down style while still pushing the play forward.
All three of these players have the ability to alter the way this team plays in their own end and limit the damage.
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