Rebounding Leafs Still Need More Offense From Defensemen

The Toronto Maple Leafs have posted a 10-1-2 record in their past 13 games, including Saturday’s masterful 5-2 victory over the freefalling Buffalo Sabres. Toronto’s offense is starting to come around: in their past four games – three of which, they’ve won – the Leafs have generated 14 goals-for. That’s more like it when it comes to being a dynamic offensive team once again. But make no mistake – some of that offense needs to come from Toronto’s defense corps.

In Saturday’s win, the Leafs got one goal (from veteran Mark Giordano) and two assists (both secondary assists from Morgan Rielly and Rasmus Sandin). Rielly is far and away Toronto’s best offense-minded D-man, with 16 points in 19 games. But after him, there’s a steep dropoff from the Leafs’ most offensively-potent blueliners. Giordano has three assists and four points. Justin Holl has one goal and two points. Youngsters Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren has five points and two points respectively. We’re not suggesting the Leafs’ defense corps has to be filled with Bobby Orr replicants, but their contributions on offense has to be better. Much better.

With injured veteran Jake Muzzin on the Long Term Injured Reserve, Toronto GM Kyle Dubas will have significant salary cap space with which to improve the Leafs’ defense. A short-term rental like John Klingberg might be just what the Buds need to kickstart the offense from their back end.

Klingberg’s contractual situation is complex – as per CapFriendly.com, the 30-year-old has a full no-trade clause until Jan. 1, after which he can submit a list of 10 teams he won’t go to – but Toronto should still make a strong pitch for his services. The Leafs are a Swedish-friendly group, and it’s likely Klingberg would be a good fit. The question is, what do you have to offer to land him?

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The answer, if Klingberg is a true rental and not a star moving to a team he’ll re-sign with, has to be a first-round pick and an upper-tier prospect, That would be no small return for Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. The Leafs have held onto their first-rounders, but Klingberg, who leads Anaheim D-men with seven assists and eight points in 18 games, would be worth it. Klingberg can still give you top-pair minutes – he currently averages 23:36 of ice time per game – and serve as a spark plug in the offensive zone.

The other name for the Maple Leafs to consider acquiring is Arizona defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. We’ve said it before in this space, but Gostisbehere is going to be a solid consolation prize for teams that lose out on the Jakub Chychrun sweepstakes, and that list could include the Leafs.

Gostisbehere currently leads Coyotes defensemen in scoring, with six assists and 10 points in 16 games, and, like Klingberg, he is in the final year of his contract. The abysmal Coyotes are settling into last place in the Central Division, and ‘Yotes GM Bill Armstrong has to get something out of Gostisbehere as an asset. Because of Muzzin’s injury, the Leafs have the cap space to acquire Gostibehere, who doesn’t have a no-trade clause. But can they outbid other franchises?

As we’ve said previously, the Leafs are likely to give youngsters like Liljegren and Sandin more time and opportunities before they complete any trades of consequence. But they can’t wait too long, or Klingberg and Gostisbehere will be plucked away by a competitor. Getting a D-man who can produce points would take pressure off Toronto’s forwards – and if you don’t have that second offense-minded blueliner to contribute alongside Rielly, you’re going to have a difficult time trying to be a true Stanley Cup frontrunner.