Possible Signing Means Maple Leafs Facing a Logjam on Defense

The Toronto Maple Leafs are close to setting the roster ahead of opening night of the 2026-27 season, but there is a curious problem developing with the team’s defensive options.

Heading into the season, the Leafs had added Darren Raddysh to give themselves a top pairing, right-shot defenceman who can quarterback a power-play unit. Outside of that, though, Emil Andrae was the only other addition to the defensive group, and many wondered if it would be enough.

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However, an expected signing on the horizon could cause a different kind of headache as the team may find too many options on the blueline to choose from.

Blankenburg Expected to Sign

Nick Blankenburg joined the Toronto Maple Leafs on a Professional Try-Out (PTO) this summer, and there’s talk that the 28-year-old could be close to signing a one-year deal with the team.

The 5-foot-9, 177lbs defenceman has an interesting skill set and is viewed positively around the league, having impressed in predominantly a bottom pairing role across his career, which has included stops with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, and Colorado Avalanche.

He shoots right, can fit in at any place in the line-up, has averaged over 19 minutes on the ice twice in his career, and can offer some level of offensive production when deployed in the right situations.

The hope will be that the Washington, Michigan, native will sign for cheap, having carried an AAV of just $775,000 over the past two seasons, allowing the Leafs to carry him once Max Domi inevitably gets placed on LTIR.

A Loaded Defensive Group Causing Problems

The problem with signing Blankenburg is that the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have any real space to accommodate him long-term.

When he signs, if that is the direction it goes, then the Leafs will have eight defencemen on the books for the season and are unlikely to run with seven in the line-up for most nights, with the focus being a push towards supporting Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna in their hunt for more points.

It may be a way of having enough depth in case Chris Tanev needs to have some element of load management this season, but Blankenburg will effectively be battling with Andrae and Troy Stecher for ice time when the season opens.

The upside for Blankenburg is that he and Andrae are younger than the rest of the defensive group, and as the core ages, both should get into the lineup at some point this season.

That may not happen early on, though, and they may need to wait for a chance to contribute. This may not be a big issue for the Leafs, who will enjoy having options, but it could see players sitting in the press box regularly.

A rotation could be an option, allowing head coach Jim Hiller the chance to spread minutes around the team and ensure the players on the bottom end get an even spread of games.

The Leafs will need to figure out what the plan is with the defensive group, even if that means more waivers or a trade coming sooner rather than later. Carrying eight defencemen throughout the season could be a benefit, but it could also create a headache if needs elsewhere need to be addressed.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Oilers & Penguins Plan?