Toronto Maple Leafs Linked to Star Defenseman This Off-Season

Ahead of the deadline, Toronto were linked to several star defensemen, but ultimately ended up with Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmunson, and if they want to be a Stanley Cup threat, that's simply not enough.

It appears as though Brad Treliving understands that, but was unwilling to part with top assets ahead of the deadline, so now, their focus has shifted to the free agent class of 2024.

According to a report, the Maple Leafs will target Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent, who is in the final year of a six year deal with a cap hit just over $4 million per year.

If the Maple Leafs want to land the veteran star, who has been incredibly consistent over his career with the Hurricanes, they will need to pay up however, as many believe his next contract to be in the $6-7 million per year range.

At 29-years of age, he's got plenty of experience but plenty of miles left on his body, so the Leafs will have plenty of competition to land his signature, with the signing potentially making or breaking the Leafs summer.

As Read on Maple Leafs Daily - Leafs expected to pursue pending free agent defenseman aggressively this summer