Brad Treliving, the Toronto Maple Leafs' general manager, confirmed what he looks for in a defenseman.
An obvious pattern in the Leafs' signings at the blue line since he joined the team has been highlighted by a post on X, listing Treliving's acquiitions by height.
Max Lajoie, at 6'1", is the smallest defenseman signed by Treliving, while Cade Webber and Nicolas Mattinen, at 6'6" are the tallests.
"🖊 We've signed defenseman Nicolas Mattinen to a one-year, two-way contract beginning in 2024-25"
Here's the full list:
"Treliving-era acquisitions on defense:
Cade Webber - 6'6"
Nicolas Mattinen - 6'6"
Joel Edmundson - 6'5"
Noah Chadwick - 6'4"
Simon Benoit - 6'3"
John Klingberg - 6'3"
Chas Sharpe - 6'3"
Ilya Lyubushkin - 6'2"
William Lagesson - 6'2"
Max Lajoie - 6'1"
Wonder if there's a message here"
Cade Webber - 6'6"
Nicolas Mattinen - 6'6"
Joel Edmundson - 6'5"
Noah Chadwick - 6'4"
Simon Benoit - 6'3"
John Klingberg - 6'3"
Chas Sharpe - 6'3"
Ilya Lyubushkin - 6'2"
William Lagesson - 6'2"
Max Lajoie - 6'1"
Wonder if there's a message here"
With the Flames, Treliving used the same strategy. When he left the team, the blue line was very big, with Nikita Zadorov (6'6"), Chris Tanev (6'2"), and Noah Hanifin (6'3"). However, he only managed to win three playoff rounds in nine seasons.
Considering that the Leafs' have a lot of firepower in their forward lines, getting defensemen who can physically back them up is very important. We'll see how this pays off in the playoffs and the coming seasons.
Source: Hockey Patrol - Brad Treliving confirms his priority on defense with recent signings
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15 AVRIL | 346 ANSWERS Brad Treliving confirms what he looks for in a defenseman Do you think Brad Treliving's blue line strategy will lead the Leafs to a Stanley Cup? | ||
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