Maple Leafs pursuing a deal for Colton Parayko

Brad Treliving attempted to upgrade the Leafs' blueline during the regular season but struck out on acquiring Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov and in the end settled for Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson.

With the official off-season upon us, the Leafs have been linked to almost every possible pending free agent defenseman including Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Brandon Montour. This morning however, The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta confirmed that the Leafs are once again interested in Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.

The 31-year-old Parayko will be entering the third year of an eight-year deal that carries an AAV of $6.5M but also has a full no-trade clause.

Although he has a no-trade clause, the 6'6, 230 pound righty could be intrigued with being reunited with Craig Berube who he won a Stanley Cup with in 2019. Parayko certainly fits the bill of a Treliving - Berube type of defenseman with his size, reach and physicality and would bring something to the Leafs' defensive group that they have longed for.

While the Leafs would get some cost-certainty for the next six seasons and not have to worry about being out-bid in free agency, the assets they would have to give up would further deplete their small prospect and draft pick pool.

Source - The Fourth Period - MAPLE LEAFS SEEKING BIG BODIES ON DEFENCE