One day after witnessing other top contenders in the league making significant player acquisitions, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving took action on Thursday by adding veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Washington Capitals.
In return, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be trading away the 2024 3rd Round pick they received from the New York Islanders during the last trade deadline for Pierre Engvall, along with the Chicago 2025 5th Round Pick acquired alongside Jake McCabe last season.
At 30 years old, Edmundson brings a wealth of experience from his 521 career NHL games, having previously played for St. Louis, Carolina, Montreal, and Washington.
Let’s hope the Leafs aren’t finished with their additions for this year.
The Capitals acquired Edmundson last summer from Montreal in exchange for a third-round pick and a seventh-round pick. This essentially allowed Washington GM Brian MacLellan to upgrade from the seventh round to the fifth round in the trade.
Before joining Washington, Edmundson had logged over 20 minutes of ice time per game in two seasons throughout his career. However, this season with the Capitals, he recorded the lowest ice time average since his rookie year, playing just 16 minutes and 26 seconds per game.
The trade may disappoint many fans, as Edmundson seems to fit the mold of what the Toronto Maple Leafs already have plenty of: a bottom-pairing or seventh defenseman who isn’t particularly strong in moving the puck.
The player from Brandon, Manitoba, has consistently posted negative Corsi numbers throughout his career, and this trend persists this season. Moreover, this acquisition adds to the recent trend of the team acquiring players with lower quality performance metrics, now totaling four draft picks exchanged for players who are seen as waiver-wire quality.
