Exciting trade opportunity presents itself for the Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs need defensive help. Shocker, I know, but as obvious as it is, it still rings true. We know that their top target has been Chris Tanev for much of the year, but after Tanev went down with an injury last night against the Colorado Avalanche, the Leafs may need to turn their attention elsewhere - and one Leafs reporter has his eyes on one defender who checks a ton of boxes for the Leafs.
Will Borgen currently plays for the Seattle Kraken and, while he's not exactly a household name, nor is he the flashiest name on the market, Borgen does a lot of the heavy-lifting in Seattle in terms of being able to move the puck, defend well and kill penalties. He also likes to hit - a lot.
Borgen threw a staggering 203 hits last season and, despite his prowess for physical play, he showed tremendous durability, playing in all 82 games for the Kraken last season. He's also a right shot defenseman, which is what the Leafs desperately need right now.
"Borgen is only 26, so his best shifts may lie ahead. He's a stay-at-home, six-foot-three, 204-pound right shot who blocks shots, lays hits, logs 17 minutes a night and starts 66 per cent of his shifts in the D-zone.
He does the not-so-fun stuff well." - Sportsnet's Luke Fox on Will Borgen
With a modest cap hit of just $2.7M through this season and next, Borgen would come with some term, which could be enticing for the Leafs. He is also, again, not a household name, so the cost of acquisition should also be quite modest in comparison to some of the other names that are floating around out there.
POLL |
DECEMBRE 12 | 688 ANSWERS Exciting trade opportunity presents itself for the Leafs Should the Maple Leafs pull the trigger on a deal for 26-year-old Will Borgen? |
Absolutely, he checks every box | 418 | 60.8 % |
No, Tanev is still the guy | 92 | 13.4 % |
No, look elsewhere | 178 | 25.9 % |
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