The Leafs have an important decision looming on UFA Joel Edmundson

With rumours swirling around Timothy Liljegren's future with the team, coupled with the fact that only Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Simone Benoit are under contract next season, the complexion of the Leafs' blue line is set for changes.

Edmundson is not the defender he used to be after missing games due to a nagging back injury for the last few years, so the question that arises is, is he a good fit for the Leafs, and if so where does he fit in the lineup?

As per Evolving Hockey's recent contract projection tool, Joel Edmundson's new deal should come in at the modest price of around a $1.4 Million AAV. At that price point, he has to be comfortable as a #5-6 slot defenceman. I think that is the perfect spot for the veteran d-man on this Leafs team.

Even with his history of injuries, his rugged style of play is exactly what the team needs for playoff success. Edmundson was a key piece on the Montreal Canadians team that made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021. The shut down game he played, was integral to the Habs playoff success.

The question that arises is if the Leafs should sign Edmundson or Ilya Lyubushkin, as it seems like they will not have room for both of these players.

The Leafs clearly have a lot of work to do on their depleted D corps this offseason, and signing Edmundson at the team friendly contract mentioned above should be a priority.