Darren Dreger isn’t buying the idea that the Toronto Maple Leafs can simply go out and grab the kind of defenseman they want.
Speaking on TSN 1050’s "First Up," the NHL insider said Toronto is not chasing a filler piece for the back end. The target, as he framed it, has to be a player who can truly change the group.
"They're not looking for a depth defenseman, they're looking for a defenseman that is gonna move the needle...and who's trading that player away"
That’s the catch. The Leafs may have their eyes on younger defenders, with Simon Edvinsson and Alexander Nikishin mentioned as two of John Chayka’s most prized targets, but deals like that are rarely straightforward.
Rival clubs are going to want strong assets back, and the kind of players that could get a conversation moving are the sort Toronto would rather hold onto. In practice, that could mean parting with names such as Easton Cowan and Ben Danford.
Dreger’s point is that the market is tighter than it looks. Even if the Leafs want to get younger on the blue line, the kind of defender they actually need may not be sitting there waiting to be moved.
What makes the situation more urgent is the state of Toronto’s current defense corps. Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, and Jake McCabe are all getting older.
Darren Raddysh’s eight-year deal means he will be close to 40 by the end of it, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson is another aging piece. Put together, it’s a blue line that doesn’t look built to last.
That leaves Chayka with a difficult task. There are options that don’t involve swinging for a massive trade.
Ben Danford could be promoted and given some games, with the hope that he proves to be better than expected. The other answer is slower and less flashy: keep drafting defensemen and keep feeding the development system.
It may not be the quickest fix, and it may not be the one fans are hoping for, but rebuilding this defense is going to take time and patience.
In Other News...
Leafs Fans Have A New Draft What-If To Debate
The 2026 draft already gave Maple Leafs fans plenty to chew on when Toronto went first overall with Gavin McKenna, a selection that immediately shaped the way the class will be remembered in this market. San Jose followed by taking Ivar Stenberg second, and with both players off to promising starts, the contrast has only made the Leafs decision feel bigger in hindsight than it did on draft night.
Stenberg has been turning heads with the Sharks, which naturally invites the sort of alternate-history debate Toronto fans never seem to tire of. The part that keeps the conversation alive is how he now views his own draft process with the Leafs, a detail that adds another layer to the what-if scenario without changing the fact that Toronto still landed the player it clearly wanted at the top of the board. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face More Urgency In Dylan Larkin Situation
The Maple Leafs continue to search for ways to shore up the blue line, but one name appears to be staying off the table: Easton Cowan. Toronto is reportedly reluctant to include the promising prospect in any major deal for defensive help, a sign the organization still sees him as a key piece of its future even as it explores upgrades around the roster.
There is also some immediate uncertainty up front, with William Nylander missing the morning skate because of an illness and now listed as a game-time decision for the matchup with San Jose. Around the league, the trade market is beginning to stir again, with Montreal exploring a possible Rickard Rakell deal and Pittsburgh open to moving veteran players, developments that could add urgency for Detroit as it weighs what comes next with captain Dylan Larkin. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Face A Tavares Problem They Can't Ignore
John Tavares latest injury is the kind of setback the Maple Leafs cant simply paper over. He left the game against the Buffalo Sabres after a collision with Josh Norris and is expected to be out week-to-week with a lower-body issue, forcing Toronto to reshuffle its middle six at a time when the club was already leaning on its top-end talent to carry a heavy load.
Nick Paul has already been pushed into the No. 2 center role behind Auston Matthews, and that puts even more pressure on a lineup that now has to find offense from elsewhere. For the Leafs, the bigger concern is not just surviving a stretch without Tavares, but figuring out how much more they can ask of younger players before the lack of depth starts showing up on the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]