Brad Treliving must fix the Toronto Maple Leafs' newly-exposed weakness
Brad Treliving's offseason moves to add grit and defensive stability to the Toronto Maple Leafs' blue line have brought improvements, but a lack of offensive production from the defense is becoming a critical issue.
As reported by Hockey Patrol, the Maple Leafs' defense has scored just seven goals this season, with Morgan Rielly leading the group with four and the rest have come from Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Timmins.
This is a sharp decline from the 23 goals the team's blue line scored last season which were led by Jake McCabe's eight goals.
While defensive contributions have helped shut down opponents, the inability to generate offense from the back end is big especially during powerplay opportunities.
Morgan Rielly's struggles show this problem since he is known for his offensive ability which is including a 20-goal season in 2018-19, Rielly has failed to find that form this year.
Whether it's a matter of confidence, poor chemistry or deployment, something needs to change and giving him a better partner on the power-play or easing his defensive responsibilities could help him unlock.
Treliving must address this imbalance for all the defensive improvements and adding an offensive-minded defenseman before the trade deadline could bring much-needed scoring from the blue line.
Potential targets could include names like Tyson Barrie or John Klingberg since they could come at a reasonable price.
The Maple Leafs' defensive improvements are a step forward, but their lack of offensive contributions from the back end could derail their postseason aspirations.
To maintain momentum and maximize their chances for a deep playoff run, Brad Treliving needs to make a move to balance grit with scoring.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 30 | 151 ANSWERS Brad Treliving must fix the Toronto Maple Leafs' newly-exposed weakness Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs should try to sign John Klingberg? | ||
| Yes | 31 | 20.5 % |
| No | 120 | 79.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
