Satiar Shah

Is it now kind of the new six, five and a half for some defensemen?

Well, it's also this idea that the Leafs are going to rebuild as long as Matthews is there is a complete non-starter.

We even heard Keith Pelley before he hired John Shika talk about how they're probably not going to be tearing it down.

There are a lot of comparisons already to the Canucks offseason last year where they re-upped all their guys and to convince Quinn Hughes to stay and bring your friends back.

This is not quite the same because you're adding somebody new to the fold.

But does this seem like a futile effort?

Or is the East wide open enough that Toronto next season with some good goaltending, some better defensive play, and their offensive players actually living up to their potential...

can find themselves right back in the thick of things?

Because I don't think it's out of the question.

Looking at the East, looking at their division, I would not be stunned in the least if Toronto finishes top three in the division next season.

Carlo and Tanev.

And now you have Radish.

And Edmund Larson.

I mean, on paper, you're like, well, that's, you know, those are six legitimate defensemen.

You can't say the guy who's the worst is still number five at worst.

Yeah.

That's good.

But I do think they're probably looking to move Riley out.

And as much as Riley has struggled, like, who's the better overall defenseman, him or Radish?

Now, Radish has the better offensive pop on the power play.