The Ideal Defenseman to Join the Maple Leafs May Already Be Known
The Toronto Maple Leafs took a massive step forward a season ago, finally breaking through the first round of the playoffs, but now, it only gets harder as the expectations grow.
Area of weakness
Despite having one of the best forward groups in the NHL and a solid goaltending duo, the Leafs still have a major need on the blue line, and after Erik Karlsson was traded, the perfect candidate has emerged.
Jeff Petry may not be a name that jumps off the page at Leafs fans, but he comes very cheap, as Pittsburgh already paid his $3 million bonus this year, and if Montreal can take on some of that cap hit, he could be just $2.3 million against the cap next year.
What will the blue line look like?
With Petry, the blue line looks much more stable, as he could play alongside Jake McCabe on the second pairing, giving the Leafs an interesting lineup.
The potential pairings on this team would then read Rielly-Brodie, McCabe-Petry and Giordano-Klingberg, and while that's still not among the best in the league, that's a team that would give Toronto a chance to win every night.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 6 | 1821 ANSWERS The Ideal Defenseman to Join the Maple Leafs May Already Be Known Would you want to see Petry on the Maple Leafs next year? | ||
| Yes | 974 | 53.5 % |
| No | 847 | 46.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) looks on against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/531249.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) looks on against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) looks on against Team Finland in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/531292.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) looks on against Team Finland in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
