Why a trade with Flames could help the Maple Leafs’ struggling defence

If Brad Treliving doesn’t have Craig Conroy and his numbers as favorites on his smartphone, he should.
The general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs was, of course, Conroy’s predecessor as Calgary’s head coach and broker, and the two executives often talk hockey.
Treliving has an obvious deficit in defense.
Conroy has three – count ’em, three! – proven NHL defensemen entering the final season of their contracts and pinning a series on the sad side of the playoff bubble.
andquot;He knows what I think about these players. Weand#039;had a lot of those conversations, andquot; Treliving said during Nashville’s draft weekend. andquot;Heand#039;s got a lot of good players.andquot;

Of course, Treliving is looking at Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov from Calgary, along with a #039 future UFA defenseman trio with extension negotiations pending. Ultimately, Treliving drafted all three, lured Tanev to free agency and traded Hanifin and Zadorov.
The interest is not new, but the urgency has increased.
Treliving knew the D corps he got was “work-and quot; (his tenure) when he swung the batting bag for so long Justin Holl (plus-6 in Detroit); swing-and-miss safeties, staying at home .UFA options like Luke Schenn and Radko Gudas; and instead contributed big event John Klingberg, who currently can’t brush his teeth without creating an A-grade scoring opportunity. What the GM didn’t expect, however, was how quickly Toronto’s thin defense — further hampered by a penalty for inconsistent goaltending — would reveal itself when the Flames arrived in town for Game 14 on Friday.
Keefe believes the Maple Leafs and#039;trend in a positive direction and#039; despite defensive battles

Injuries to regulars Jake McCabe (groin) and Timothy Liljegren (ankle) and seventh D-man Conor Timmins (lower body) must have made matters worse. But even at full health, the Maple Leafs needed to upgrade their blue line sometime before the March 8 trade deadline if they wanted to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Coach Sheldon Keefe reached a boiling point after Wednesday night’s 6-3 loss to the beatable Ottawa Senators (playing without three of his regular guards), and it’s difficult if the lanky Klingberg can be scratched or protected in 11-and-7 formations. to look at the opposition and the bench and not covet their possessions:

• Noah Hanifin ($4.95M cap): Hanifin is the best left-handed hitter at 22:46 nightly. At 26 in his prime, Hanifin represents Conroyand#039’s most attractive brand. (Heand#039; is younger than center Elias Lindholm and the market is hungry for durable D-men. ) Hanifin is reportedly trying to trade Devon Toewsand#039; seven-year, $50.75 million extension in Colorado. He brings offensive head and smart puck movement, but is not a heavy hitter.
Conroy initially tried to keep Hanifin on the shelf, but if he decides to part ways, he’ll be looking for more in return from a team willing to move on with the player. We don’t see an easy way for Treliving to give Hanifin and William Nylander the raise they deserve.
• Chris Tanev ($4.5 million): Tanev is exactly the type of heart-and-soul defenseman the Leafs should be targeting. The right shot (and GTA product) can help stabilize a risk-taking lefty (ask Quinn Hughes), take 18 or 19 minutes of heavy defensive duties and be occupied with bad free throws, D-zone starts and dunks. three square meals of discs daily. Health could be a concern for the 33-year-old veteran because he plays such a brutal and honest game. If/when Conroy moves on, playoff teams should line up to hire Tanev.
• Nikita Zadorov ($3.75 million): More baths, huh? The six-foot-6, 248-pound Zadorov would add a physical presence and bruising control to a Maple Leafs blue line that could benefit from a little more size and experience. In a full D lineup, the 28-year-old Zadorov would be the third pair, but he has a career average of 18-10 in 578 games and is comfortable moving up and down the lineup, skating left or right. Zadorov wins and kills penalties and would probably be the cheapest buy of the trio.
Just because Conroy and Treliving have a great working relationship (and operate in separate conferences) doesn’t mean a deal is inevitable. Players and their agents have a say; Hanifin (eight teams) and Tanev (10 teams) also have non-trade lists.
Weand expects Calgary — winners of two straight — to try to get back into the playoffs before waving the white flag, and Toronto will explore its internal solutions before parting ways with new options and opportunities. But! If the Flames cannot enter the contest and the Maple Leafs#039; defense doesn’t magically fix itself, trading ice makes sense.
19,000 scouts will attend Friday’s Leafs-Flames game in Toronto, evaluating each shift between Hanifin, Tanev and Zadorov and wondering what if…
Singles: Joseph Woll returns to the gridiron on Friday against Calgary, while Ilya Samsonov makes the tight call on Saturday for the fiery Thatcher Demko and the Vancouver Canucks. Woll took Wednesday’s loss to the Senators to heart. andquot;I know I have to be better for this team,andquot; he said after giving up six. andquot;That group is very busy. And we know we have to start increasing the profits. And for me personally, I think it starts behind.andquot; … Ryan Reaves (minus-9) thinks McCabe is a promising return for the 11/7 entry. … Center Pontus Hölmberg was recalled to the big club and defenseman Max Lajoie returned to the Marlies. … Calgary recalled stud AHL goaltender Dustin Wolf (5-1, .924) from the Wranglers on Thursday.