Mitch Marner was on the case.
Not long after his close friend Jake Muzzin left the Oct. 17 loss against Arizona with an apparent neck injury, Marner let the world know the possible severity with his comments: “Obviously, for him just he makes sure that if he plays again this year, or whatever happens, just make sure he’s able to do what he wants to do for the rest of his life and enjoy time with his family, his kids.”
It was one of those foreshadowing quotes that spoke volumes. A player’s life and well-being after hockey is always of paramount importance. Fast forward to this week, nearly a month later, when the Maple Leafs announced Muzzin would be out for the foreseeable future with a cervical spine injury, to be re-evaluated in late February before the March 3 trade deadline.
For Toronto, Muzzin’s injury is probably the best worst-case scenario. They’re down a blueliner who was acquired and paid to be a big part of a playoff run, but injuries have piled up, and at least now they have clarity and flexibility.
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General manager Kyle Dubas said Monday that in the short term, the Leafs won’t be giving young defensemen Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren opportunities to step up and seize the moment. In the long run, it seems a foregone conclusion that the Leafs will use all of Muzzin’s $5.625 million LTIR cap space to bulk up a backend that many felt already needed bolstering when Muzzin was healthy.
This is a burn-the-boats kind of season in Toronto, where no stone should be left unturned. It’s now or never to get hurt in the Stanley Cup playoffs for this core.
So who is available on the blue line? As Senators general manager Pierre Dorion noted Tuesday, it’s the hardest position to change in the NHL.
Given the list below, Dubas may have to move away from his preference not to acquire rental players, as there are apparently very few deadline-bound defensemen available. Teams that have stable defenses are in the business of holding on to them unless a significant premium is paid. And it’s not as if Dubas, in the final year of his contract without an extension, has to think much beyond this season.
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Aside from the obvious of Jakob Chychrun, who has been available in Arizona for over a year and will make his season debut on Nov. 21, here are six potential signings for the Maple Leafs as the season progresses:
1. John Klingberg, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 30 Shots: RightStats: 16 GP, 1 G, 7 A, 8 PtsContract: Pending UFA, $7M AAV
With Muzzin’s injury, the Leafs have the ability to jump the market and acquire Klingberg. It’s been a miserable start for the rebuilding Ducks, who are tied for the fewest points in the league. He’s a strong skater and defender, a very well-rounded player who would instantly improve the power play. The idea behind signing Klingberg to just a one-year deal in late July while he remained on the free agent market was to see if there was a fit, but also to realize that he’s a potentially investable asset. Klingberg acknowledged as much, which is why he has a full no-trade clause in place until Jan. 1. With the Ducks retaining half of Klingberg, his contract would fit perfectly into the Leafs’ LTIR cushion, and if the cap does. upside: It might not be out of the question for the Leafs to re-sign him. But the acquisition cost will not be cheap. Klingberg will look for a first-round pick, and more, on the rental market. It is also the best defense available.
2. Vladislav Gavrikov, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 26 Shots: Lefty Stats: 15 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 PtsContract: Pending UFA, $2.8M AAV
Gavrikov is probably close to an opposite style to Klingberg. Gavrikov is the quintessential defensive back. He has size and range, blocks shots and kills plays. It’s not quite worthy of the term “off”, but it holds. If you look back at Toronto’s playbook with Kyle Dubas, he has already signed and acquired a similar style of player to Ilya Lyubushkin, who has since moved to Buffalo. In that deal last season, they also packaged Nick Ritchie to Arizona with a second-round pick for Lyubushkin. The acquisition cost is likely to be the same this time around, and Columbus doesn’t have the same cap flexibility as Arizona to take on an unwanted contract. Gavrikov is months away from free agency on a Columbus team headed in the wrong direction. They’ve capitalized on the rental market with Toronto before and we could see GM Jarmo Kekalainen do it again.
3. Matt Roy, Los Angeles Kings
Age: 27 Shoots: RightStats: 18 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PtsContract: 1 more season, $3.15M AAV
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Roy is the only Blue on our list who has an expiration date on his contract. Why does it make the cut? The Kings are one of the few teams in the league with a surplus in defence. They have eight healthy defensemen right now if you include 19-year-old prospect Brandt Clarke, and that doesn’t include Jordan Spence or Tobias Bjornfot, who are set to go to AHL Ontario. The real test of the narrative is in Roy’s ice time. After averaging 20:18 over the past two seasons, he has only broken 20 minutes twice this season, averaging 17:50. It’s clear the Kings would prefer to move on from Sean Walker first, who has yet to look the same after a major right knee injury. Walker has the same term left with a slightly lower header. But Roy is the best defender right now. His game isn’t going to “wow” anyone in any way, but the modest 2015 seventh-round pick is steady, reliable, and not easy to ride.
4. Carson Soucy, Seattle Kraken
Age: 28 Shots: Lefty Stats: 16 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 PtsContract: Pending UFA, $2.75M AAV
Of all the players on this list, Soucy is the only player who might not be available. However. The Kraken have exceeded expectations this season and bounced back in a big way after a tough start to the expansion. Their hold on an early-season playoff position may be tenuous in the Pacific Division, but they’re in the mix. That’s important for the franchise to establish a competitive baseline, and it means GM Ron Francis and Co. likely aren’t willing to take pieces off the roster. Especially those as versatile as Soucy. However, we know that teams have already been well on their way with the Kraken at Soucy. The 6-foot-5 standout, who signed his current contract as a Group VI UFA through 2020, was selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft. He doesn’t have many holes in his game. He can also play both sides of the blue line, which is important given Sheldon Keefe’s preference for proper left-right pairings. For the aforementioned reasons, Soucy is a player who could be approaching the March 3 deadline, and the Leafs wouldn’t be the only fit.
5/6 Nick Jensen OR Dmitry Orlov, Washington Capitals
Age: 32 / 31 Shots: Right / Left Stats: 18 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 Pts / 13 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 PtsContracts: Both pending UFAs, $2.5M / 5, 1 million AAV
There’s no doubt that the Capitals’ singular focus this season is to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a roster built for how to win now. Injuries can make that impossible. Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, TJ Oshie, Connor Brown and Carl Hagelin will all have missed significant amounts of time. And GM Brian MacLellan may not have a choice at the deadline to move rentals if it looks likely the Caps will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. If that’s the case, there are two intriguing adjustments for the Leafs. Orlov might be the most expensive acquisition, but Jensen might have more suitors. Both are a stylistic go-to for Toronto because they both handle forechecking pressure well. That’s significant because the Leafs seem to have been overwhelmed by it at times in their recent first-round playoff exits. Orlov is more assertive, Jensen is more understated. Both have the same confidence. Jensen’s contract has aged pretty well, while Orlov probably had a higher ceiling years ago and has seen his game plan a bit, but is still playing at a high level.
Watch out for: Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild.
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