The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the best defense units in the NHL, but that doesn’t rule them trading for another.
The Maple Leafs could look to their heated rival Montreal Canadiens, to acquire a defenseman, as the Habs have been linked to trading one or two. NHL analyst Geoff Hannah of NHLTradeRumor links the Maple Leafs to trading for Arber Xhekaj from the Canadiens.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team loaded with skill, but they’ve been accused of lacking the sandpaper needed to win in the playoffs,” Hannah wrote. “Enter Arber Xhekaj, a player who is a throwback to a bygone era. At 6’4″, he’s an intimidating presence on the ice, a player who can single-handedly change the momentum of a game with a bone-jarring hit or by dropping the gloves.
“While the Leafs have added some grit with players like Dakota Joshua and Michael Pezzetta, they don’t have a true enforcer, a player who strikes fear into the hearts of their opponents. Xhekaj is that player,” Hannah added. “He wouldn’t be asked to score 20 goals a season. But he would be tasked with protecting the likes of Easton Cowan, Matias Maccelli, and Nick Robertson. Imagine a player like Xhekaj patrolling the blue line, and you can see why the Leafs are intrigued.”
Xhekaj is entering the final year of a two-year, $2.6 million deal. He will be an RFA at the end of the deal.
What Would it Cost the Maple Leafs to Acquire Xhekaj?
If Toronto does make a move to acquire Xhekaj, the price likely wouldn’t be cheap.
Xhekaj is an impactful defenseman and is young, which would bring the cost up. The rumor has been a second-round pick, but Hannah expects it to cost more due to the Canadiens and Maple Leafs being division rivals.
“A second-round pick might seem like a steep price for a player with more penalty minutes than points, but for a team in the Leafs’ position, it’s a small price to pay for the kind of toughness that wins championships. And let’s be honest, the “Leafs tax” is a real thing,” Hannah wrote.
“The Canadiens will likely ask for a little something extra to sweeten the deal. Perhaps a player like Marshall Rifai, who doesn’t have a clear path to the NHL in Toronto,” Hannah added. “A second-round pick and a depth player for a player who could be a game-changer in the playoffs? That’s a deal the Leafs should make every day of the week.”
Xhekaj would be a bruising third-pair defenseman who would bolster the blue line. He recorded 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points in 70 games.
Maple Leafs GM Likes His Defense
Toronto has one of the best defenses in the NHL.
Since taking over as general manager, Brad Treliving has put an emphasis on his blue line and being harder to play against. Heading into the offseason, Treliving oozed confidence on his defense.
“In today’s game, I like the length of our defense, I like the makeup of our defense. We’ve still got to be able to get out of our own end,” Treliving said. “There are things we can do in terms of closing quicker and taking away space. And part of how we play will lend itself to giving up some volume.
“The idea is you’re going to give up a little volume, you’re going to take away the Grade-As, what we think are the most dangerous chances,” Treliving added. “That’s part of what we’ll do in the summer. In today’s game you need to be active. We need to get more offense from our defense. But in terms of personnel, we’ll see. I like the D-corps, but we can’t be rigid.”
The Maple Leafs’ blue line is led by Chris Tanev and Morgan Rielly.
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