Defensive overhaul

Team: 2020-21 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Aug. 27, 2020

Published: Aug. 27, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

The Johnsson trade is just to clear cap, the Sharks could use some secondary scoring and have some cap space so I see this as a natural fit.

The Kings trade is essentially dumping Engvall for a 4th, and trading Dermott and a 2nd for Walker. The Kings get a younger defenceman who may not be as good as Walker but can still fit in the NHL, and get a decent pick for it. The Leafs get an underrated defenceman who should be a good fit alongside Muzzin, who was briefly his old teammate in LA.

The Ducks trade wouldn't have happened without trading Holl and Kerfoot. Manson's 4.1 million is simply too much unless the Leafs are able to trade (almost) dollar for dollar. Holl should be able to take Manson's role and fill it adequately (even if he isn't as good as Manson) for the Ducks while Kerfoot is probably an upgrade over Terry (even if he is older). But, the Ducks are able to turn their 2nd round pick (which should be somewhere between 35-40) in exchange for the 15th pick which is a huge asset for them as a rebuilding team.

This blueline looks like a massive upgrade over this past season, with no obvious points of concern (like Ceci was last season) and a good balance of more free-skating players and responsible ones, unlike last season where Muzzin was the only good 2-way defender.

EDIT: I swapped Johnsson and Kerfoot in the trades ad adjusted the value of the trades trade a little bit

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