Reading through this I really don't understand the negative response. As I said in the Hutchinson thread, a one year deal at 700k doesn't commit the Leafs to anything or preclude them from doing anything else. This is a depth move that in no way binds them to anything.
But even more, the idea that some people are surprised that the Leafs are kind of in a thorny spot defensively makes no sense. Once the Leafs decided to short-cut the rebuild when Matthews came aboard this year was always coming. The Leafs being without a lot of cap maneuverability isn't anyone's fault. It's the result of absorbing four big contracts over two years. No team could bring on the Tavares deal and the three big extensions and not feel the pinch.
Sure, jump starting the process once Matthews was here but without a bunch of good defensive prospects was a move worthy of criticism(and I gave it at the time) but realistically with those four forwards in the fold any major improvements to the defense, at least in the foreseeable future, was going to have to come from within. That's just the whole nature of the cap. If you think the Leafs should make major structural changes so as to add a defenseman from outside the organization, I think it's incumbent on someone making that argument to outline what those changes actually are and what chance they have of succeeding in a league that prizes good defensemen as highly as it does.
Either way, the signing of Marincin has nothing to do with that larger issue. Nobody here or in the Leafs front office is working under the impression that signing him is fixing the issues with the team.
