Overview
- Pierre LeBrun reports Toronto has renewed league-wide calls for a defenceman and may need to act before the Feb. 4–22 trade freeze.
- Darren Dreger says the club’s priority is the blueline, with a thin market largely limited to older or third-pair options.
- Chris Tanev could require surgery that costs him the rest of the regular season, while Jake McCabe is out at least another week and Brandon Carlo just returned.
- Insiders expect smaller or mid-tier deals in the coming weeks, with bigger moves more likely after the Olympics and ahead of the March 6 deadline.
- Toronto has points in seven of its last 10 and sits two points outside a wildcard spot, increasing pressure to shore up the defence.