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Why the Maple Leafs should target Predators defenceman Nick Blankenburg
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Photo credit: Ryan Sun-Imagn Images
Michael Mazzei
Jan 10, 2026, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 9, 2026, 13:28 EST
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have undoubtedly begun to turn things around in their season, but that doesn’t mean they can afford to stick with what they have.
There are still areas of the team that could use improvement to better their chances of success this year, with the big one being the makeup of their blueline. The defence has not quite been able to put it all together to this point, with all of the injuries to key members throughout the year not doing the Leafs any favours. GM Brad Treliving has wanted to find some reinforcements on the backend and preferably one who is a puck-mover. A recent report from TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests that it is currently Treliving’s primary focus and he is ramping up his efforts to address it.
What makes the prospects of a trade difficult to pull off is the lack of assets at Treliving’s disposal that would be needed to add the marquee options. The Leafs have no first-round picks until 2028, and their top young assets in Easton Cowan and Ben Danford are most likely off the table. That’s why it is more likely that the team will need to get creative in addressing their needs and focus on lesser-known names that may be more attainable than someone like Rasmus Andersson.
If the Leafs want to add a puck-mover who could be had at a lower price, they should consider setting their sights on Nick Blankenburg.
On the surface, Blankenburg doesn’t appear to fit the mould of the type of defenceman that Treliving and Craig Berube would be interested in because he is listed at 5’9″ and weighing 177 pounds. But much like the similarly undersized Troy Stecher, Blankenburg plays fearlessly and is more than willing to engage physically when necessary.
He is a strong skater, can move the puck up and down the ice with ease, and has a high hockey-IQ by making the smart play at both ends of the ice. That last trait has allowed him to be a versatile option who can be used not just at even strength, but also on the power-play and the penalty kill. The right-shot defenceman also does well in transitioning the puck while under pressure, as he was ranked fifth last season among all defencemen in successful pressured plays in transition.
Blankenburg has always had to prove himself due to his undersized stature, but his firm belief in his abilities has made him endearing everywhere he’s played. He is a guy who would have easily been a regular in the NHL a while ago if he were a few inches taller, but that lack of size has therefore made him overlooked by the league for years. Knowing that nothing is guaranteed and his disadvantages mean he constantly has to prove himself, he plays each game like it’s his last and it’s hard not to root for someone who gives it his all on a nightly basis.
This season has been the best of his career so far from an offensive standpoint, posting 18 points (five goals and 13 assists) in 33 games played at the time of filing. Blankenburg has been able to hold his head above water on a Nashville Predators team that is once again struggling to find their way into the playoff picture. It has also resulted in his underlying metrics at 5v5 rank on the upper echelon of the team:
CF%
FF%
SF%
GF%
XGF%
SCF%
HDCF%
HDGF%
PDO
56.02
54.52
51.73
47.06
58.17
55.38
62.50
58.82
0.985
The fact that he has been able to do this while averaging only 18:37 of ice time and carries a league minimum AAV has made Blankenburg’s accomplishments this season up to this point all the more impressive. This is a guy who is providing rock-solid play on a struggling team, yet it is barely registering outside of Nashville because of him being an undersized defenceman.
Blankenburg would likely get used on the Leafs’ second and third pairing depending on the matchup, while also getting usage on both special teams as he has with the Predators. His cap hit of $775K should give the team no issue fitting him onto the books now and down the line when the likes of Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe return from their respective injuries. The addition of Blankenburg would result in Simon Benoit becoming the seventh defenceman on the team, which makes more sense given his struggles throughout the season.
As far as what it would take for the Leafs to acquire his services, it probably wouldn’t cost much more than a draft pick and a roster player whom they deem expendable. Perhaps a package of a 2027 fourth-round pick and Philippe Myers could be enough to get a deal done, even without the guarantee of Blankenburg extending since he will be a UFA at the conclusion of the season. This is the type of move that Treliving should be looking at making given the lack of tradeable assets at their disposal, and it would be one that he wouldn’t regret.
Blankenburg makes a ton of sense for the Leafs as a trade target that addresses their needs to add mobility on the backend while not costing a lot.

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