Dubas: Leafs need to become a harder team to play against

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to spice up their lineup this offseason.

General manager Kyle Dubas said on Monday his "priority" this offseason is to become a harder team to play against, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.

"There's no doubt that it is something that we would like to address through free agency or through trades that come up," Dubas added.

Toronto ranked 29th in the league during the 2019-20 regular season in hits (1,188) and allowed the seventh-most goals against (222). Their offense wasn't an issue, as they scored the second-most goals in the league (237). Despite the flurry of offense, Toronto still finished with the eighth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Leafs evidently have talent throughout their lineup, but teams were often able to attack them with ease throughout the season, including when they were eliminated by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the qualifying round.

The free-agency period is set to kick off on Friday, Oct. 9. Kyle Clifford, who led the team in hits per 60 with 16.88, is heading to free agency, according to his agent.