Fixing the Maple Leafs' defense means trading a forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs have quickly proven over the last year they can score in bunches, finishing the 2016-17 campaign with the fifth-most goals scored in the NHL at 250. The only problem is they can also allow goals in bunches.

So when the Leafs reached an agreement Wednesday to ink forward Zach Hyman to a four-year, $9-million contract extension, it became clear that the team is in excellent position to address a blue line that allowed the ninth-most goals in the league last season at 234.

Related: Maple Leafs sign Zach Hyman to 4-year, $9M extension

The bottom line is that Toronto needs a top-four defenseman, and with Hyman now being a Leaf for at least the next four seasons, moving one of the club's talented forwards on an expiring deal could bring in the D-man it's been looking for.

Two names that have been heavily mentioned in trade talks are Josh Leivo and James van Riemsdyk.

Both players are on expiring contracts, and the Leafs have a core group of talented offensive players, making Van Riemsdyk and Leivo largely expendable.

There's no doubt that the pair brings an offensive upside - especially JVR, who has 55-plus points in three of his last four seasons - which should have teams sniffing around.

Considering we already know that Van Riemsdyk was previously dangled in the Leafs' attempt to acquire Travis Hamonic from the New York Islanders, and that Hyman is now locked down, the potential to move him before training camp starts is very high.

The 28-year-old has spent the last five seasons in blue and white after being dealt to Toronto from the Philadelphia Flyers and has put up strong offensive numbers.

But that doesn't change the fact that his trade value would help the club more than his 25-30 goals a season. The Leafs did just add a perennial 30-goal man in Patrick Marleau, after all.

Related: Maple Leafs sign Patrick Marleau to 3-year deal

And sure, Jake Gardiner, Nikita Zaitsev, and Morgan Rielly all have top-four potential and are emerging as elite-level offensive defensemen who combined for 106 points last season, but they are not ready to carry the team on their own.

Adding Ron Hainsey to the defensive mix provides a stabilizing element for the trio that could potentially serve as a successful band-aid solution for next season, or maybe the year after.

But Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello is playing the long game, and Hainsey, while serviceable, isn't the guy Toronto needs on its blue line moving forward - especially if his defensive partner is one of Martin Marincin, Alexey Marchenko, or Connor Carrick.

Don't forget, Hainsey just played in the first playoffs of his 14-year career last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, so his track record doesn't exactly have Leafs fans lining up to get his name stitched on their jerseys.

Despite performing admirably on a battered Pens back end, the 36-year-old journeyman defenseman isn't the answer Toronto is searching for.

So where, you ask, are they to find this savior to resurrect one of the most storied franchises in pro sports? The answer isn't clear at the moment, but a good start would be to cast JVR or Leivo - or maybe even Leo Komarov - back out into the open market and see what kind of bites they get.

At the end of the day, it's as simple as this: The Leafs are loaded up front and have holes on the back end. Moving a forward for a D-man just makes way too much sense.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)