Insider points out that the Leafs' deadline plans may have changed now that Tanner Jeannot has landed in Tampa
Late last night, the Tampa Bay Lightning made a move to acquire an impact forward for their bottom six. Yes, the Bolts overpaid by a pretty large margin to bring in Nashville Predators winger, Tanner Jeannot, but they also got a player that is going to make life miserable for the opposition.
Jeannot is currently projected to play in Tampa's bottom six, which, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman points out, means that he'll likely see "a lot of Toronto's 3rd pair". As a result, Friedman believes that the Leafs may now be looking for a player who is capable of dealing with what Jeannot brings to the table.
Jeannot is a rough, nasty winger who throws big hits, wreaks havoc in front of the net and will drop the gloves without hesitation. As it stands, the Leafs don't exactly have anyone on their blueline who is built to deal with a threat like that. Yes, Mark Giordano will drop the gloves when he has to, but he's not a fighter by trade. It's not his primary function. To the same effect, neither is punishing guys in front of the net. Gio is more of a "obstruct the shooting lanes" type of defenseman and a positionally sound blueliner who isn't afraid to shoot the puck. The Leafs will, according to Friedman, require a different animal to deal with Jeannot.
There are a few options available to the Leafs who could fit that mold. Luke Schenn is a nasty customer and has been linked to the Leafs in recent weeks. One additional name who has been discussed far less is Florida Panthers blueliner Radko Gudas. With the Panthers still in the playoff race, I'm not entirely sure he's available, but he's certainly another interesting option.
With just 4 days left until the deadline, I'm sure we won't have to wait long to see how Dubas and the Leafs respond to the Jeannot acquisition. There's a chance that they just stay the course and play their game and target their type of players. However, if Friedman is right, we could yet see a big, bruising blueliner headed to Toronto.
| POLL | ||
27 FEVRIER | 198 ANSWERS Insider points out that the Leafs' deadline plans may have changed now that Tanner Jeannot has landed in Tampa Do the Leafs need a big, bruising defenseman? | ||
| Yes | 173 | 87.4 % |
| No | 25 | 12.6 % |
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