Shattenkirk!

You guys are so close. Might take another year or two. You have a lot of free agents to sign in the next few years. :-)

Yeah, they have a chance to take another step next season without compromising their future by upgrading the D and backup goalie. You make a good point re:free agents. The ones to be concerned about are Nylander next summer and Marner/Matthews the summer after. Luckily forwards JVR, Bozak, Komarov and Lupul are all coming off the books and there are plenty of affordable replacements 'in the system'. Even so, signing Shattenkirk may mean letting Gardiner walk in a couple of years but I think they will have defense prospects by that point to replace him. Perhaps whoever they draft with this year's first rounder, or Dermott or Neilsen.

Why waste so much money on Shattenkirk. Third best Dman in St Louis. They don't miss him. What has Shatternkirk really done to help star filled Washington to be better? Shattenkirk is a PP specialist and a good one, but how much better can the 2nd ranked Leaf PP be? Boyle three years?

Doubt Shattenkirk will sign with any Canadian team, Probably either Rangers or Bruins and Brendan Smith will cost you at least 4 years $16 million he wont sign for that little.

Shattenkirk because he's a free wallet. Third in STL maybe but he would be top 2 in Toronto . He's 11th in points for defensemen over the last 5 years and very much in his prime. The numbers show he is a good all-round top 4, not just a PP specialist. The Leafs need to bolster their top 4 and this is the way to do it immediately and without giving up assets. I won't be surprised if he signs with an American club, though he did say he was open to joining the Leafs. Regardless, expect the Leafs to be bidders.

Smith may go for more, yes. I included him mainly because the Leafs will have financial flexibility to upgrade on Hunwick/Marincin in that spot and they've been linked to him in the past. Ideally it would not be Smith in that spot, it would be someone more physical who can kill penalies and close out games. I'm not sure who that would be at this point. Someone like Karl Alzer will probably be too expensive.

I'm surprised to say this but with another top 4 dman this team could be in contention in very short order if their young players can stay on the same trajectory. It might be time to shell out.