Three Defensemen Who Could Replace John Klingberg on the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Klingberg's injury will keep him out the rest of the season. Adam Proteau lists players from the Flames, Coyotes and Flyers who could replace him.

The Toronto Maple Leafs received unfortunate news Wednesday when veteran defenseman John Klingberg was announced to be sidelined on LTIR for the rest of the season with a hip problem that requires surgery. 

THN's Toronto site has the news hit with comments from GM Brad Treliving, who said he now has that important clarity that Klingberg won't be available and must find a replacement for the rest of the season.

Treliving has Klingberg’s $4.15-million salary cap hit to turn into another veteran contributor on the blueline. But which players will he be looking at? Some names we’ve heard a lot about of late, while others may be new to the Buds’ rumor mill. Let’s look at three D-men who could become Leafs before the NHL’s trade deadline arrives March 8.

Flames GM Craig Conroy has already begun shipping out his pending UFA defensemen by trading Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks last week. Now, all attention in Calgary turns to veterans Tanev and Noah Hanifin. 

It’s well known Toronto covets the type of physical game Tanev brings to the table, and with their salary cap space that will open up at the end of this season, Treliving can afford to keep Tanev in the fold for the long term. Hanifin’s finesse game also could benefit the Buds, but he would cost considerably more in terms of assets than Tanev would.

The Leafs didn’t have the cap space or the clarity with Klingberg's situation to land Zadorov, but they now know they don't have to clear as much room for Tanev, who has a cap hit of $4.5 million this year. Tanev fits the mold of Jake Muzzin, who likely will never play another NHL game again, and Treliving’s personal connection to Tanev from his time running the Flames is another link between the Leafs and the player.

A couple of draft picks and/or an average or slightly above-average prospect should be enough to get a deal done between Toronto and Calgary, and the Leafs would get a considerable boost from Tanev’s addition. This makes too much sense not to happen – although there will be other teams jostling to land Tanev – so nobody can say they were surprised if a deal does go down for him.

Dumba hit the open market this past summer as a UFA but didn’t land a long-term deal with any team, choosing instead to sign a one-year, $3.9-million contract with the Coyotes. He kicked the can down the road contractually, but he’d benefit from a trade to the big-market, big-spotlight Leafs and be looking for a long-term deal beginning next year. 

The Coyotes have been a pleasant surprise as a team this season, but in the macro picture, it may make more sense for them to convert Dumba’s services into a young prospect who can make the jump to the NHL level in the next couple of years.

The 29-year-old Dumba no longer is a serious threat on offense – in 23 games this season, he has just two goals and four points – but he’s averaged 20:02 of ice time with Arizona, and he could fit into Toronto’s defense corps as a second- or third-pair member.

Arizona GM Bill Armstrong should soon test the trade market for Dumba, as he’s a highly valued right-shot D-man and a feisty competitor who could give the Leafs the edge they’re looking for in any trade for a blueliner. Armstrong can’t ask for the moon and stars in a Dumba deal, but Armstrong knows he has a chip other GMs want, and he may wait until much closer to the trade deadline to drive up the price.

Walker has been a pleasant revelation for the Flyers this season after being acquired from the L.A. Kings last summer, logging an average of 21:20 of ice time while contributing eight assists and 11 points in 25 games. 

The 29-year-old is hardly an imposing physical force at 5-foot-11, and he’s also going to be a UFA at season’s end, so the price for him as a pure rental player could be significantly lower than it would be if Philadelphia management allows potential trade partners to talk to Walker about a contract extension beyond this year.

Like Dumba and Tanev, Walker is a right-shot defenseman – and his salary cap hit of $2.65 million would give Treliving more cap space by the trade deadline. Walker is in his prime, and he’s putting up a career-best performance despite the pressure of playing in Philly as the Flyers continue on their full rebuild.

Walker is also an Ontario native, so he’d have a clear idea of what it means to play for the Leafs. Treliving could give the Flyers a couple of draft picks for Walker’s services, and both sides likely would be happy with the trade.