Does Mark Giordano Actually Help the Maple Leafs?

Long-time NHL defenseman Mark Giordano has been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The former captain of the Calgary Flames was shipped to Toronto by the Seattle Kraken after the veteran blueliner spent 55 games in the Pacific Northwest. Forward Colin Blackwell will be traded with Giordano to the Maple Leafs.

In return, Toronto sent two second-round picks and a third-round pick to Seattle. The Kraken will also retain half of Giordano’s remaining salary as part of the deal.

It’s been clear for a while now that this move could be a reality for the Kraken, as the team sits in last place in the Western Conference and is dangerously close to dropping to dead last in the NHL.

For the Maple Leafs, however, what does this acquisition do for the team in its pursuit of playoff success?

Does the addition of Giordano actually make the Maple Leafs better?

The 38-year-old defender has had a respectable season in Seattle. In 55 games, he has scored six goals to go with 17 assists (23 points). He also has a minus-21 rating, but let’s not hold that against him with the way his team has played.

Giordano is three seasons removed from winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, though his production has decreased since. It has not dipped so low, however, that it’s unreasonable to expect improvement as he joins a significantly better roster.

My concern is not that he will be an unproductive player. Instead, I worry that we’ve seen this type of move fail to work in the past for the Maple Leafs.

This is not the first time that this team has attempted to support its young stars with veteran players. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Wayne Simmonds are a few of the names that have come to Toronto to add experience to an inexperienced group.

Unfortunately, those moves have not paid off, and I worry that this one won’t either, because they all have one common flaw: the experienced player being acquired has no championship experience.

Take nothing away from Giordano’s 1,004 games played, but if the Leafs are trying to improve in the postseason, doesn’t it stand to reason that adding players that have won the Stanley Cup is more impactful?

Giordano has played only 23 postseason contests during his long NHL career, and for that reason, I don’t think he helps in the area in which the Maple Leafs are lacking the most.

There is no doubt that Toronto will once again be a playoff team. Time will tell whether or not their newest acquisition will help them take that next step forward.