The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason. After a disappointing 2025-26 season that saw them finish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings, the Maple Leafs should be looking to make some moves to bolster their roster. This is especially so when noting that they have stars like Auston Matthews and William Nylander in their primes.
If the Maple Leafs hope to be better next season, one area that they will need to improve this summer is their defensive group. It is clear that they could use at least one more top-four defenseman on their left side.
Due to this, the Maple Leafs are now being urged to sign one of this year’s top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen if they end up testing the market.
Maple Leafs Urged to Sign Sharks Top Blueliner Mario Ferraro
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz looked at one move that each NHL team should make during the offseason. When it came to the Maple Leafs, Gretz argued that Toronto should work hard to sign defenseman Mario Ferraro if he does not end up re-signing with the San Jose Sharks.
“Dipping into the free agency market is also an option. Ferraro is one of the younger unrestricted free agents on the market and brings a solid mix of size, shot-blocking, and puck-moving that could be made useful on a team with more forward talent than he’s been playing with in San Jose,” Gretz wrote.
With Ferraro being a proven top-four defenseman who plays a strong all-around game, it would make a lot of sense if the Maple Leafs tried to sign him. They have been connected to him in the past, and he could be a strong fit in their top four. This is especially so when noting that Ferraro is capable of playing both sides.
Ferraro would also give the Maple Leafs another clear option for their penalty kill to work with because of his smart defensive play. With the Maple Leafs needing more reliability on their blueline, it would make a lot of sense if they tried to bring in Ferraro this summer.
Maple Leafs Will Have Plenty of Competition for Sharks’ Mario Ferraro
When looking at the Maple Leafs’ roster, there is no question that Ferraro stands out as a strong fit. However, the same can be said about multiple other teams in the NHL. Due to this and Ferraro being the best left-shot defenseman who can hit the free agent market this summer, the Maple Leafs would have a ton of competition if they pursued him this offseason.
Ferraro is exactly the kind of two-way defenseman that contenders love to have on their roster. However, at just 27 years old, Ferraro should also generate interest from some non-playoff teams.
In 82 games this season with the Sharks, Ferraro posted seven goals, 16 assists, 23 points, 137 hits, and 150 blocks. With numbers like these, he would be a solid player for the Maple Leafs to add to their blueline as they look to bounce back next season.
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