The draft and free agency are finally almost here.
While we’ve now covered the free agent and trade markets among forwards, we have yet to properly discuss the defense market. The reason is pretty simple: The Leafs already have a full complement of defensemen under contract — eight, in total.
Jake McCabe’s extension is about to kick in, so he’s not going anywhere. Neither is Chris Tanev. It’s possible the other players could be traded, but Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Carlo are recent acquisitions. Simon Benoit is signed to a dirt-cheap contract and has steadily improved his game; plus, he’s the youngest defenseman on the team. Philippe Myers is also signed to a cheap deal, while Matt Benning is still in the organization and makes $1.3 million.
Which brings us to Morgan Rielly.
He’s coming off a down season and is signed for five more years at $7.5 million AAV with a full no-movement clause currently in effect. It’s not completely prohibitive, especially as the cap climbs. Still, when the team’s top-paid defenseman is underachieving and clearly isn’t among the top two defensemen on the team, it will logically draw attention as problematic. The team wants bang for its buck at that price, and it’s fair to wonder about spending the cap dollars differently, given the collection of proven NHL defensemen on the Leafs beyond Rielly.
The issue is twofold. Rielly has a full no-movement clause for the next three years, so he’s not going anywhere unless he wants to. Even if he is willing to move to a select few destinations, those clubs would also have to want him, too.
Rielly appeared on both of Nick Kypreos’ trade boards:
“Trading Morgan Rielly is an option that could present itself and, if the right return comes across his desk, Treliving would consider taking it.
But the thing is, that decision isn’t entirely going to be Treliving’s to make.”
As we said, it makes sense, but it’s difficult to put the pieces together to make the move, and in the absence of trading Rielly, it’s hard to picture any of the other Leafs defensemen moving this offseason (athough if the right deal comes along, the Leafs should definitely explore it, too).
It’s also fair to note that while this is a solid defense unit, it’s not good enough to the point where the Leafs can sit back and say they don’t even need to think about it. They struggle to move the puck and rely heavily on a soon-to-be 36-year-old Chris Tanev. There is clear value in adding a defenseman who can play heavy minutes, push play up ice, and lessen Tanev’s regular-season workload.
Just because the defense unit is good doesn’t mean the Leafs shouldn’t try to make it great.
All of that said, there is a very limited group of potentially available defensemen who can help the Leafs, and it would require some surgery to get to a place where it makes sense in general. That makes it difficult to discuss the defense market; the Leafs need to clear room, and most of the players of interest will either cost them big dollars, big assets, or both.
However, I think there are a few defensemen worthy of discussion:
Aaron Ekblad
- Age: 29
- Height and Weight: 6’4, 220
- Contract: UFA
- 2024-25 Season: 56 games, 3 goals, 33 points, 23:31 per game, 55.6 CF%, 56.41 xGF%
- 2025 Playoffs: 19 games, 4 goals, 13 points, 23:31 per game
Things to Like
Ekblad doesn’t need much of an introduction at this point, given that he plays for a division rival and the back-to-back Cup champs. The big righty does a bit of everything, and unlike most of those types of players, he’s generally really good across the board at everything.
Ekblad plays on the Panthers’ top pairing and takes on tough matchups every night. He’s productive and has scored double-digit goal totals in eight of his 11 seasons. He’s big, he’s right-handed, and he can play in any situation. He’s posted positive possession metrics in nine of his 11 seasons (the last time he didn’t was the 2017-18 campaign).
Adding a right-handed defenseman like Ekblad who is capable of soaking up minutes — he averaged 23:31 this season, then played 24 minutes per night in the playoffs — would allow the Leafs to preserve Chris Tanev down the lineup, provide Jake McCabe with another righty he can take on tough assignments with, and give the Leafs a PPQB option with a big shot.
Ekblad also has a mean streak; he crosses the line at points, and for a team that’s relatively tame and generally plays within the rules, I don’t mind adding a player or two of the sort.
Causes for Concern
There are a few notable concerns worth flagging. Ekblad hasn’t played a full season in seven years now and is 29 years old. It’s safe to label him injury-prone.
He’s also been paired with an elite shutdown defenseman the past few years, so it’s fair to wonder how effective he would be in a different environment that also doesn’t have Sergei Bobrovsky behind him and Barkov in front of him. He’s definitely a top-four defenseman either way, but just how good he is outside of Florida is fair to wonder about, and it’s a relevant question depending on the money he receives.
Ekblad clearly loves Florida, and it’s going to cost a team big, big money to get him out of the Sunshine State, so that’s a concerning part of the equation as well. All things being equal, it’s obvious that Ekblad wants to stay put.
K’Andre Miller
- Age: 25
- Height and Weight: 6’5, 210
- Contract: RFA
- 2024-25 Season: 74 games, 7 goals, 27 points, 21:57 per game, 49.47 CF%, 48.44 xGF%
Why he might be available
This is usually the time when a team looks to lock down a player like K’Andre Miller long-term, but Miller experienced a down season, and nearly the entire Rangers roster seems to be in flux. The Rangers appear at least willing to listen and feel out the market as they weigh whether to trade Miller and cash out now or sign him to a short or long-term deal.
It’s not a foregone conclusion that Miller is available, but on a team looking to rebound after a down year, doesn’t have a ton of cap space, and is facing question marks all over its roster, the Rangers are clearly evaluating everything.
Things to Like
Miller has all the tools. He’s massive, he can skate, he has some skill, and he has flashed the ability to defend really well. Miller hasn’t quite put everything together; his career high is 43 points, and he’s not a true shutdown stud. But he has flashed serious potential at a really high level, including two conference finals appearances where he averaged 24:47 in one run and 21:05 in the other. He took on big defensive assignments in both runs and acquitted himself reasonably well.
At 25, Miller is just rounding into his prime years, and traditionally, bigger-bodied players like Miller take a little longer to truly round into their final form in the league. He’s not a fully finished product and requires some projection, but his overall talent is tantalizing and could be worth swinging on.
Causes for Concern
What if Miller just is what he’s shown in the league to date? He’s 25, has played over 400 games in the league (including playoffs), and he’s never produced a double-digit goal season or more than 43 points. He’s been outscored in each of the past two seasons, and he hasn’t been a great play driver.
In the past few seasons, the Rangers have thrown Miller into tough matchups, and while he has fared fine, he has been outscored and outpossessed in each of those seasons. It’s not all Miller’s fault — the Rangers were a mess last season — but he still plays a role in it.
Miller will cost a ton given his profile and youth, so is it worth paying the big acquisition cost, then paying him big dollars as an RFA if he doesn’t ever really take the next step in his development?
Rasmus Andersson
- Age: 28, turning 29 in October
- Height and Weight: 6’1, 202
- Contract: One year at $4.55 million
- 2024-25 Season: 81 games, 11 goals, 31 points, 23:59 per game, 49.65 CF%, 49.06 xGF%
Why he might be available
With a year remaining on Andersson’s contract and a Calgary team that’s not particularly competitive, both parties exchanged early contract offers and appear to be miles apart. It sounds as if both sides have essentially decided it’s time to move on, as Andersson probably wants to play on a better team, and Calgary doesn’t want to pay him an exuberant amount of money to change his mind.
Things to Like
I strongly debated leaving Andersson off this list because he is not particularly strong defensively, and he will likely be paid massive dollars for a player I’d consider more of a second-pairing defenseman. I ultimately left him on the list partly because Brad Treliving appears interested, and I think Treliving has earned some benefit of the doubt in this department.
Last summer, Treliving brought in two defensemen he previously had on his team in Tanev and OEL, and both were excellent for the money. I’m affording a bit of leeway by believing that if Treliving wants him — as the GM who drafted Andersson and signed him to his last contract — I trust his judgement. Treliving knows the player, he’s comfortable with him, and he thinks he’d be a fit with this group.
It is easy to see why Treliving would like the fit. The Leafs’ defense unit scored the fewest goals in the league last season with just 21. Andersson scored 11 last season and has 31 over the past three years. He owns a bomb and is a legitimately good offensive defenseman who not only shoots but will activate into the rush. Andersson is a fiery personality and a real battler; he played the final 12 games of the season with a broken fibula as the Flames nearly made the playoffs.
With Mitch Marner all but gone, Andersson is a viable PPQB, especially as a right-handed shot. Marner worked well up top as a righty, and Andersson would give them a big shot who could also feed Nylander one-timers and draw in penalty killers with the shooting threat.
Other than Rielly, it’s easy to picture Andersson fitting stylistically with any of the Leafs’ other three left-handed defensemen.
Causes for Concern
The reason I debated not including Andersson on the list is his struggles defensively. This past season, he was outscored 62-42 at five-on-five. For context, Calgary was outscored by two at five-on-five as a team.
The Flames did deploy Andersson in a tough-matchup role alongside Kevin Bahl, so I wouldn’t say he was completely positioned for success, and he was playing just a second under 24 minutes per night. He may have been overused on a team that isn’t particularly good; he averaged 23:50 and 24:05 in the two seasons prior. Andersson is a good player, but he’s played more per game than Victor Hedman, Charlie McAvoy, and Adam Fox in the past three years.
As it is, Andersson has essentially been a good second-pairing offensive defenseman. That’s what Rielly is, and Rielly actually out-produced Andersson this season. Rielly also has four seasons where he has produced more than Andersson’s career high. It could be a bit of a be-careful-what-you-wish-for situation. Rielly has been consistently more productive.
Additionally, Andersson will want a pricey extension, and the Leafs would risk falling into the same trap of overpaying an offensive defenseman, one after the other.
Bowen Byram
- Age: 24
- Height and Weight: 6’1, 205
- Contract: RFA
- 2024-25 Season: 82 games, 7 goals, 38 points, 22:42 per game, 49.15 CF%, 47.88 xGF%
Why he might be available
Buffalo is already paying two left-handed defensemen huge dollars in Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin, and they have another left-handed defenseman in Mattias Samuelsson who is also signed to a big, long-term contract. How many lefties can one team pay big dollars?
Even the Sabres wanted to pay him, Byram appears to see a defense group around him where his fit isn’t exactly clear, coupled with the Sabres’ continued mediocrity, and doesn’t appear to be jumping to sign long-term in Buffalo, either.
Things to Like
Similar to Andersson, Byram is a good offensive defenseman. He was tied with Thomas Harley for 15th among all defensemen in even-strength points. He’s a good skater who often operates as a fourth-forward rover, and while it’s fair to wonder if Craig Berube would appreciate it, I personally like the idea of one (1) wildcard defenseman who can drive offense in creative ways beyond the ability to take a point shot.
Part of the appeal of Byram is that he just turned 24. There is still room to grow, especially if he left a poor Buffalo squad where he was probably asked to do too much. He averaged 22:42 per game, a minute more than any Leafs defenseman. He also has playoff experience and a Cup already; Byram produced nine points in 20 games when the Avalanche won their Cup in 2022.
Byram has won his minutes every season, including this season on the Sabres, and has averaged 20:59 of ice time per game. It’s a lot of ice time and responsibility for a young defenseman, and while there have been rocky moments, he’s generally winning out and will learn from the experience moving forward.
Byram can also play the right side, which is obviously appealing. As a partner for Carlo or even alongside Tanev — who can support Bryam and bring him along — the fit would make a lot of sense.
Causes for Concern
Similar to Andersson, Byram is poor defensively. He’s also young, and you’ll find a lot of defensemen who struggle without the puck early in their careers before they figure out the league. Jakob Chychrun carried a similar reputation at one point. With Byram’s ability to skate and think the game, there is reason to believe he will figure it out. There’s risk attached to Byram’s playing style, but I believe he’ll put it all together. But, of course, there is a real risk that he won’t.
Byram has also never truly been the top power-play quarterback on a team. He’s played behind Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin, so it’s more due to circumstances, but at the same time, his career high in power-play points in a season is six, and he hasn’t scored a power-play goal in three seasons and counting. There is a difference between upside and actually proving it.
If Byram doesn’t round out his game and become a top power-play threat, he will likely be an overpaid five-on-five offensive defenseman, which is what Morgan Rielly is right now.
Jordan Spence
- Age: 24
- Height and Weight: 5’11, 180
- Contract: One year at $1.5 million
- 2024-25 Season: 79 games, 4 goals, 28 points, 16:47 per game, 56.80 CF%, 56.88 xGF%
Why he might be available
This one is pretty simple: Jordan Spence is on the smaller side and is a skilled, right-handed defenseman, and the Kings don’t believe they have room for two players of the sort. The other is Brandt Clarke, who is going nowhere.
The Kings have seven defensemen under contract, even if Vladislav Gavrikov leaves, and they likely want to aim higher to improve their unit, leaving Spence as one of the odd men out.
Things to Like
In the event the Leafs are unable to bring in a potential top-of-the-lineup defenseman, I wanted to flag a defenseman who could fit lower in the pecking order and give them a different mix at times.
Spence is young, right-handed, and plays with tempo. The Leafs need to add more mobility and skill, and Spence checks those boxes. He scored 28 points last season — only OEL (29) and Rielly (41) produced more in Toronto. That’s a nice third-pairing contribution from a defenseman, and Spence tallied 24 points the year before, so it’s not really a fluke.
Spence would immediately become the Leafs’ youngest defenseman, and it is a plus to bring in some youth at this point. You could easily envision pairing Spence with Simon Benoit on the third unit as a bit of a yin-yang pairing. In Spence’s two NHL seasons, he has crushed his minutes in a bottom-pairing capacity. In his two full seasons, he is up 96-65 in five-on-five goals.
I’m not sure if Spence’s size will cap his potential at a third-pairing defenseman, but if those are the results he’s going to achieve on a bottom pairing and he’s making only $1.5 million, it’s an easy addition to help the Leafs’ defense group and give it a bit of a different look.
Cause for Concern
At $1.5 million and still under team control after the current contract expires, there isn’t much risk other than the potential acquisition cost, and whoever else moved off the Leafs’ defense unit to accommodate Spence. Is it simply Myers versus Spence for the 7D spot? Would they lose Myers on waivers? Can they trade a similarly undersized and productive player in Nick Robertson (who is from California) straight up for Spence?
