Pinpointing just one area of need for the Maple Leafs seems like an impossible task but wiser people (or more connected people) are reporting that the Maple Leafs have prioritized right shot defencemen as the target. Given that things haven’t gone particularly well with Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev is potentially out for the season, and while there is nothing but great things to say about Troy Stecher, some additional help for the overachieving waivers claim might benefit the team.

Rasmus Andersson was a pretty great option that the Golden Knights picked up. They did however pay a price that the Leafs couldn’t (and probably shouldn’t) have paid to a team that is likely in no rush to do business with Brad Treliving unless they can confidently look like they’ve fleeced him.

Dougie Hamilton is a name that’s out there and while he checks plenty of boxes, age and history maybe don’t create red flags, but definitely yellow ones.

Luke Schenn has been talked about. And there the main question needs to be “why?” The Leafs are a team that has gotten more of Schenn than a lot of others have, but much like most of Brad Treliving’s trade history in Toronto, Schenn represents a bottom of the lineup player that the Leafs are hoping can step up rather than thinking like a contender and bringing in top talent that bumps the current lineup incumbents down or forces current Leafs players to compete for their ice time.

While a pragmatic approach to the trade deadline is required above all this season as little has been shown to the front office to say “push all the chips in”, it is likely the Leafs will try something to improve themselves, and if the team is actually serious about improvements, both in the short and long term, the best trade partner for right shot defencemen might be the New York Rangers (assuming they are selling.)

If you are taking a look at Chris Johnston’s trade board at The Athletic, there is only one Ranger defenceman on it, Carson Soucy. This isn’t about Carson Soucy, who doesn’t meet any of the Leafs needs.  If we take a look at Chris Drury’s letter to Rangers fans it seems like the right offer could make almost anyone available.

Chris Drury’s letter to Rangers fans specifically said the goal is a retool and not a rebuild. Adam Fox isn’t likely to be a player going anywhere in a retool unless there is a windfall of a return that does most of the retooling for you. The Rangers will already shop Panarin at the trade deadline and he won’t be returning next season, that is already a lot of cap flexibility for a big spender and they’ll get some helpful pieces out of that process, so putting a 27-year-old defenceman in play seems like a stretch.

It also feels like if you are talking Adam Fox and the Leafs you are talking Nylander/Knies type of targets from the Rangers rather than the preferred package of prospects, picks, and enough returning salary to make it work on the Leafs side.

If it is a rebuild that is receiving retool branding, Fox is the prototype for what the Leafs should want. A player who can still give Toronto a couple of seasons on the right side of 30, a legitimate puckmover/puck carrier, and a player who pushes everyone down the depth chart instead of hoping he can rise up to a new challenge.

If there is a remote chance that the Rangers are willing to move the former Norris Trophy winner, the Leafs need to put in some leg work even if it is unlikely that a player with a full no movement clause is looking for a change of scenery.

Braden Schneider is another player it is hard to see the Rangers looking to move but from the Leafs perspective, he’s one worth inquiring about. He’s young and potentially a long term solution on the back end. He’s the exact opposite of the puck mover/carrier the Leafs should be prioritizing but instead is a prime of his career Luke Schenn option rather than an end of his career one. Looking at Schneider is committing to having a player would potentially upgrade the Leafs from Carlo and bring something similar to what the Leafs are getting from Jake McCabe as a hard as nails minute eater.

Again, retool vs. rebuild means that Schneider is likely part of the Rangers plans and given that Schneider has only seen his ice time increase under Mike Sullivan, Braden probably isn’t going anywhere.

There is something very vanilla about Borgen as a trade target but more than ever, that might be what makes sense for the Leafs and especially what makes sense for the Maple Leafs defence.

Borgen, like Schneider isn’t an offensive option. Plays don’t die when he’s on the ice and the fact that he’s a strong skater who can cover gaps well, the 6’3 defender who excels in his own zone might be the right option for Rielly or Ekman-Larsson, while also being able to take some tougher assignments with Jake McCabe when needed.

At 29, Borgen would still land on the younger side of the Leafs blueline and with his contract ending when he’s 33, there is a more limited risk of bad years coupled with the controlled cost of a middle pairing defender at $4.1M AAV.

The numbers around Borgen and Schneider point to players that shouldn’t cost much to acquire but that also reduces the incentive for the Rangers to move adequate players just for the sake of making a change. It comes down to what the Rangers need more of and that is offence. The Rangers have the lowest goals for in the Eastern Conference this season and with Artemi Panarin, the team’s leading scorer, likely on his way out, the Rangers will need to add offence. If the Leafs are willing to part with a secondary scorer or two, it seems possible that the team could find a reliable right side defender for their playoff push.