As the Toronto Maple Leafs look to re-work their blue line on the fly, they came away with one of the best available defensemen before the trade deadline in Mark Giordano — acquiring the veteran from the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, per multiple reports.
The exact return is unknown, but it is believed that the Maple Leafs are giving up multiple draft picks to Seattle.
Giordano was in his first season with the expansion Kraken, having been named the franchise’s first-ever captain. He played 55 games for the team, recording six goals and 17 assists.
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The move to Seattle was a significant one for the 38-year-old, who spent the first 15 years of his career with the Calgary Flames before being exposed in the expansion draft for Seattle to take him. He played 949 of his 1,004 career games for the Flames, recording 143 goals and 366 assists along with the 2019 Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s best defenseman every year.
With an expiring contract and Seattle going nowhere in their first season, Giordano became a prime trade candidate to try and reset things. Meanwhile, Toronto’s desperation for bonafide defensemen made them a logical trade partner.
Their 189 goals against this season are the worst of any Eastern Conference team currently residing in a playoff spot. Over their last 15 games, they’ve allowed four goals or more 11 times as they’ve had problems contending with one of their top defensemen in Jake Muzzin being placed on LTIR due to an upper-body injury.
