5 moves the Maple Leafs can make to get back to the playoffs

1. Acquire some major defensive pieces

The Maple Leafs’ two-way shortcomings were on full display when the team was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Poor decision making in the defensive zone was the central avenue through which the Bruins managed to overwhelm the Buds, which in turn spelled the end of the Maple Leafs’ 2017-18 campaign.

Few would doubt the notion that the team’s blue line needs some serious revamping. Look no further than the polarization surrounding Jake Gardiner for proof of this reality. The high-risk, high-reward defender is due for an extension soon, but fans continue to be divided on whether he serves as an asset or a liability to the club’s success.

Morgan Rielly flourished during the past year, tallying 52 points in 76 games for the strongest season of his career. His defensive partner, Ron Hainsey, was among the league’s best penalty killers and continuously offered some much needed veteran presence.

Travis Dermott was everything and more that the Maple Leafs could have wanted from an up and coming star. Nikita Zaitsev, in contrast, endured widespread struggles as injuries and illness caused him to regress. Roman Polak became a regular feature of the Buds’ blue line over Connor Carrick — a move that, in the eyes of many fans, reflected the organization’s inability to acquire another piece at the trade deadline.

It’s all but expected, therefore, that Dubas & Co. make some significant changes to the Buds’ blue line over the course of the offseason. And while adjustments may have arrived in the form of the team’s decision to offer entry-level deals to Jesper Lindgren and Igor Ozhiganov, Leafs Nation shall be expecting some reinforcements that have already proven themselves at the NHL level.

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, a possible subject of interest could be the Carolina Hurricanes’ Justin Faulk. In a conversation with Michael Landsberg, McKenzie remarked:

"Justin Faulk is one of a number of Carolina’s defensemen that may be available. The word out of Carolina is that they’re open to doing a lot of things — that doesn’t mean they’re committed to it, but they’re open to listening on basically all of their players outside of Sebastian Aho. And you’ve got a rather unconventional, but somewhat aggressive management group . . . So Faulk is a guy that’s probably available. I don’t know whether Slavin and Pesce are, but there’s a lot of defensemen available in Carolina."

Faulk, of course, is just one possibility. Other names that are often mentioned in conjunction with the Buds include Chris Tanev (VAN), John Carlson (WAS), Calvin de Haan (NYI) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI).

Look for the Maple Leafs to alter the dynamic of their blue line in the not-so-distant future. It’s an absolute necessity if they’re serious about reentering the postseason and making a strong push for the Stanley Cup.

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