Home » Sports » NHL » Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs ‘Can’t Wait’ to Trade for 2 Defensemen Targets

Injuries can cause a season to quickly sneak away from a team before they even realize it’s happening. Chris Tanev isn’t the biggest name in the hockey world, but his injury is greatly impacting the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defensive depth…

By Billy Heyen · Heavy

Published: Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at 8:43 PM

Key Things to Know

Sportsnet's Justin Bourne argues Toronto urgently needs to acquire a defenseman, highlighting Zach Whitecloud and Rasmus Ristolainen.
Toronto's defensive depth has been impacted by an injury to veteran blueliner Chris Tanev.
The trade suggestion follows Toronto's 5-4 loss against the Utah Mammoth, where they conceded four second-period goals.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Sportsnet analyst Justin Bourne argues the Toronto Maple Leafs must urgently pursue a trade for a defenseman following defensive struggles and an injury to Chris Tanev. Following a 5-4 loss to Utah, Bourne identified Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen as potential targets to bolster Toronto's back-end depth.

While neither player is viewed as an elite puck-mover, Bourne noted both could provide physical support for the Maple Leafs' blue line. Toronto previously demonstrated a willingness to make early moves after trading forward Matthew Knies just before the start of the season.

Read the full article on Heavy

Maple Leafs ‘Can’t Wait’ to Trade for 2 Defensemen Targets

More Maple Leafs News

Never Miss a Sports Update