Leafs to face bidding battle with Central Division contender over Brett Pesce

The Carolina Hurricanes defenesman is set to hit the open market July 1st. Pesce is a defensively responsible player, who makes very few mistakes in his own zone and can go toe to toe with the league's best players every night, while also chipping in offensively on occasion.

The Predators and Maple Leafs are both looking to fill a few holes on defense, and they both have their sights set on the coveted UFA.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, had this to say in an article on pending UFA Brett Pesce:

For the Maple Leafs, Pesce would be an incredible addition to a D corps in serious need of another right-shot. He would fit in perfectly in the top 4 and would provide some relief for defender Morgan Rielly, especially in the defensive zone. The Leafs also do not really have a number 2 defenseman to Rielly right now, and Pesce would be the perfect fit in that spot.

Nashville has been rumoured to be in on a few different pieces this summer, and are clearly looking to make a splash this offseason to address some of their roster needs.

Pesce is coming of a deal that paid him just north of 4 million dollars, and the 29-year-old defender will be looking for a raise. It wouldn't be far fetched to see his AAV, come in at around $6M, which would fit perfectly for a Leafs team that is all but certain to offload TJ Brodie's $5M cap hit this offseason.

Source: The Fourth Period