The Maple Leafs’ injury situation on the blue line has opened the door to a trade-market search, and one name that deserves more attention is Michael Kesselring.
Toronto is dealing with absences for Chris Tanev, Marshall Rifai, and Nick Blankenburg, leaving the club short on the right side of its defense. Tanev is out, Blankenburg will miss time after an injury a couple of nights ago, and both players are on injured reserve. With that in mind, the Leafs need help now.
Kesselring, who is in San Jose, has been largely overlooked as a possible target. The 6-foot-5 right-handed defenseman has already shown he can bring a little of everything. He put up a 29-point season with the Utah Mammoth, and his brief run with the Buffalo Sabres was disrupted by injuries.
What makes him stand out is the defensive side of his game. The 26-year-old has been described as exceptionally defensively responsible throughout his career, and his plus/minus has remained positive. Teams have had no complaints about his ability to shut down plays.
That profile lines up with what Toronto needs. The Leafs have had trouble in their own zone this season, and Kesselring’s mix of size, responsibility, and offense would address that issue. His 29-point season in Utah also shows he can contribute on the other end, which matters because the Leafs’ problems on the blue line have not been limited to defense alone.
And unlike targets such as Simon Edvinsson and Alexander Nikishin, this would not be the kind of move that costs a massive haul. Toronto could likely make it happen with futures or depth pieces, and Max Domi could even be part of the discussion given his lack of place in the lineup.
At the very least, it is the kind of move the Maple Leafs should be weighing. They need an upgrade, and Kesselring would bring one.
In Other News...
Leafs Leave Door Open To Another Massive Roster Move
John Chayka is not closing the book on another big move, even with the Maple Leafs still trying to tighten up their defensive game. The Toronto general manager said the club has discussed a defenseman trade quite a bit, but he also made clear that a transaction is not the only path to getting better in its own zone.
He also left the door open a little wider when the topic turned to Easton Cowan, praising how much the organization values the young player while stopping short of making him untouchable. With good salary cap flexibility and a willingness to keep looking at all options, Toronto sounds prepared to keep exploring the market if the right deal comes along. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Rough Night
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Easton Cowans night also came under the microscope after a difficult first period, but Hiller was careful not to pin the loss on the young forward. The bigger issue, from the coachs perspective, is how the Leafs respond when the game starts to tilt and pieces begin to come out of the lineup, especially with Kirill Marchenkos status adding another layer of uncertainty after he left the game in the second period. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Tough Trade Question After Flames Loss
The loss to the Calgary Flames only sharpened the kind of roster question the Maple Leafs have been carrying in the background. Toronto is still looking for ways to add more punch up front, and the idea of bringing in a versatile center with strong face-off ability and offensive upside has become part of the conversation as the club weighs what it needs most.
Morgan Frost fits the profile of the type of player who can help in more than one area, which is exactly why he has surfaced in trade talk. But for the Leafs, the appeal comes with a real cost to their current forward structure, and any move in that direction would require more than a simple add-on. The bigger issue is how much line chemistry Toronto would be willing to disrupt to make it happen. [Read more 🡒]