The most obvious need that the Toronto Maple Leafs have as they get ready for next season is a right-handed defenceman. There are other ways in which the Leafs can improve if they can’t find a right-handed defenceman but that’s the place where they’re weakest. In theory, this means that it should be the easiest spot to upgrade. It’s easier to go from bad to average at a position than it is to go from average to good or good to great.



There are, however, two complications when it comes to the Leafs upgrading the right side of their defence. First, the collection of right-handed UFA defencemen is pretty terrible outside of Kevin Shattenkirk. There’s Michael Stone from Calgary. There’s no real evidence that he’s a top four defenceman. Dennis Wideman, who Calgary was so desperate to push out of the lineup that they acquired Michael Stone. Cody Franson is probably the best of the...