Yesterday was a busy day for trades ahead of this afternoon's 3pm trade deadline. Not only did we finally see the Jake Guentzel trade go down, but we also saw the Leafs get involved in the action, swapping a pair of mid-round draft picks for veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson.
Edmundson, 30, is known for playing hard, heavy hockey, never shying away from the physical aspects of the game and who also blocks shots and will provide something that the Leafs don't currently have in the lineup with his ability to box out players and clear the front of the net with his 6-foot-5, 221-pound frame.
Last night, Edmundson arrived in Boston in time to make his Leafs debut if he and Sheldon Keefe had wanted that to occur, however, the decision was instead made to simply have him watch from the press box with the more likely debut date being Saturday night against his former team in Montreal.
Edmundson met with the media following last night's loss to the Bruins and among the first things he did was commend the Leafs for standing up for themselves and getting physical against a very game team in Boston. From his comments, it was easy to see that he wanted to be out there and that he's chomping at the bit to get involved in the chaos.
Edmundson has had his fair share of run-ins with the Leafs during his time in Montreal, which included a 7-game series back in 2021, with his team pulling off a comeback, down 3-1 in the series, to overcome adversity and beat the Leafs in 7 games, en route to an eventual trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Now, though, he's just looking forward to joining the Leafs and trying to do it all again. He was quick to applaud management in Toronto for building a skilled, yet gritty team that he thinks can go far in the playoffs.
It's safe to say that Edmundson enjoys the situation that he's coming into in Toronto. Given the fact that he adds something to the equation that the Leafs are currently lacking, I have a feeling that this acquisition is going to be a good one for the team and the player.
