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Brad Treliving Urged to Acquire Elite Shot-Blocking Defenseman to Support Morgan Rielly

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Chris Gerics
January 10, 2025  (1:33 PM)
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Brad Treliving has a unique opportunity to reunite with one of his former draft picks who's taken the league by storm and provide much needed help for Morgan Rielly.

There's a lot of speculation over who GM Brad Treliving could add to the Maple Leafs in order to make sure they are in the best possible situation as they look to make a big playoff push and continue their dominance atop the Atlantic Division.

A lot of the talk has been surrounding the team adding some much needed scoring depth as well as adding that coveted third-line center, but there's also the potential to add some assistance for their longest-tenured defenseman.

Morgan Rielly needs a true defensive partner to help him reach his potential again, and while Philippe Myers is a great replacement so far, there's one former player Brad Treliving could bring in who could help immensely.

Rasmus Andersson Is The Perfect Addition For Morgan Rielly

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David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period appeared on Winnipeg Sports Talk and ended up mentioning Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson is open to a trade:

"I still believe he would be open to a move and would welcome one"

Toronto already has one of the NHL's best shot-blockers on their team, so why not add another? Andersson is a machine on the backend, and adds another dimension to the team's already revamped defense.

This season he has six goals and 12 assists, showing he can contribute offensively (something Toronto desperately needs from their blueliners), but also has 102 blocks this season; an incredible level of shot-prevention that could be a huge factor come playoff time.

Morgan Rielly hasn't played up to his contract this year and has looked lost defensively a lot of the time. Andersson would provide the stability needed to let Rielly flourish while also keeping the strong tandem of Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe together.

Here is how the blueline would look with Andersson:

Rielly -- Andersson
McCabe -- Tanev
Benoit -- Ekman-Larsson
Myers

Unfortunately for Myers he gets the short end of the stick, but it wouldn't be the end of the world for him. He recently extended his contract, and the team is very high on him and he's performed well this season.

Adding him as depth would be a big boost and give Craig Berube a way to experiment if he wanted to remove OEL or Simon Benoit from the lineup, he's got his replacement already.

The move also reunites Treliving with Andersson who he drafted in 2015. He's a tad expensive at $4.5M but does have another year on his deal, and if Toronto wants term he checks that box.

It wouldn't be the third-line center that Toronto seemingly covets so dearly, but the chance to add the NHL's strongest brick to an already steady wall of defense; Brad Treliving should give his old team a call to see what it might cost.

POLL

Should Toronto make a trade for Rasmus Andersson?

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