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Maple Leafs May Be Prepping for a Reunion With One of Two Ex-Leafs Defenders
Photo credit: Steve Roberts - Imagn Images
With the focus now shifting towards the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be in store for a reunion with at least one former Leafs defenseman.
With the Christmas break coming to a close and the NHL gearing up for a return to action on Friday, it's time to start focusing on the impending trade deadline, despite the fact that's it scheduled for the 7th of March.
We've seen in recent years that a lot of contending teams want to get their trades done well before the deadline. One example of this was when Nikita Zadorov was moved in November last year, and more of the same should be expected this year.
One reporter believes that the Toronto Maple Leafs could be looking to shore up their back-end once again and should that be the case, they have some familiar names circled on their wish-list.
One thing has become apparent over the years and that's the organization's willingness to going out and finding depth defensemen ahead of a playoff run. The likes of Ilya Lyubushkin, Luke Schenn, and Joel Edmundson come to mind and Jonas Siegel of The Athletic believes more of the same is in store this year.
Luke Schenn, David Savard, and Cody Ceci were mentioned as potential targets with all 3 players currently playing for teams outside of the postseason hunt. Of the three, Siegel mentions Schenn as potentially being the better fit due to his history with Morgan Rielly.
"Schenn and Rielly were superb together during the 2023 playoffs, the Leafs' best pair by a lot. The Leafs pumped the Lightning and Panthers 9-2 in their five-on-five minutes and handily won the shot-quality battle.
Rielly has never looked better than with Schenn by his side that spring. He was arguably the Leafs' best player over those two rounds, cashing in with four goals and 12 points in 11 games."
Rielly has never looked better than with Schenn by his side that spring. He was arguably the Leafs' best player over those two rounds, cashing in with four goals and 12 points in 11 games."
One potential drawback would be that Schenn, unlike the other two names mentioned, has one year remaining after 2024-25 and would turning 36.
If that does indeed deter them from another reunion with the club's former first round pick back in 2008, then they could look elsewhere for actual rental pieces in Savard or Ceci as potential partners for Rielly.
"If not Schenn, the Leafs could pursue David Savard, the muscly Montreal Canadiens defender playing on an expiring contract ($3.5 million cap hit). He fits the meat-and-potatoes prototype, but the Leafs still can't be sure he'll be comfortable playing next to Rielly.
Another option: Cody Ceci, another pending free agent ($3.25 million cap hit). Unlike Savard, Ceci has played with Rielly, during a sometimes-bumpy 2019-20 season."
Another option: Cody Ceci, another pending free agent ($3.25 million cap hit). Unlike Savard, Ceci has played with Rielly, during a sometimes-bumpy 2019-20 season."
The Maple Leafs certainly have a lot of options on the table and they're zeroing in on a specific type of player. Schenn has 134 hits to 48 blocked shots, Savard has 31 hits to 84 blocked shots, and Ceci has 39 hits to 66 blocked shots while also playing a whopping 22:02 minutes a night. It's also worth mentioning that Ceci made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals with Edmonton last season.
All 3 players will be targeted by several teams as we approach the trade deadline so if the Maple Leafs really want to get a deal done, they should act sooner rather than later.
More time to adapt to a new system and a defensive partner is paramount for a successful run, considering the playoffs would just be a month removed from the actual trade deadline date.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 26 | 3277 ANSWERS Maple Leafs May Be Prepping for a Reunion With One of Two Ex-Leafs Defenders Who do you think is a better trade target for the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Luke Schenn | 1325 | 40.4 % |
| Cody Ceci | 142 | 4.3 % |
| David Savard | 459 | 14 % |
| None of the above | 1351 | 41.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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