Every time I open up Twitter or the comments section on this blog, I see people saying that the Toronto Maple Leafs biggest priority should be to acquire a first pairing #1 defenseman.
But this is wrong.
The Leafs defense is not nearly as bad as its been made out to be. Their biggest problem last year wasn’t even their blueline – it was the defensive capabilities of their forwards. Nazem Kadri has been my favorite player since Mats Sundin retired. (He’s receiving some serious competition from my boys Gardiner and Rielly, but I digress). But regardless of how much I like Kadri, he’s miscast as a ‘shutdown centre.