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Toronto Maple Leafs: Could Simon Despres be worth pursuing?

By David Morassutti

Oct 10, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Simon Despres (24) warms up before the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Simon Despres (24) warms up before the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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After the Anaheim Ducks decided to part ways with defenceman Simon Despres on Friday, would he be an option for the Toronto Maple Leafs blueline?

The Anaheim Ducks are one of the few teams in the NHL that have strong depth on defence and it showed during the season with the emergence of prospects Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour. Now they are in a position where they need to make some moves for the expansion draft and their roster going forward. This is where Simon Despres comes into play.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to Ducks defenceman Sami Vatanen for the past couple weeks as a potential trade option. While the Leafs may still have interest there, Despres could be another option to add as a free agent to pursure. He may not be a right-handed shot but there are parts of his game that would make him useful for the Leafs.

For the advanced stats people, the 26-year old has decent possession numbers and while he does not put up dynamic offensive numbers, he could be what the Leafs are looking for in their bottom pairing. He brings a strong physical presence to his game and has shown an ability to play tough minutes. During the 2015-16 season he played a career high 19:38 average TOI so he is capable of playing a bigger role.

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What could make teams steer clear of Despres is his concussion problems that he has been dealing with the past two seasons. It is really unfortunate because the two hits that he suffered were not clean and are the types of hits that the NHL is trying to get out of the game. The first one came from Colorado Avalanche defenceman Tyson Barrie who received a three game suspension for the hit.

It did not get any better for Despres as the second hit would come from Barrie’s teammate Gabriel Landeskog. He also received a three game suspension for the hit.

With concussions being a sensitive issue, would the Leafs take a chance on Despres? This is a player who was good enough to earn a five-year $18-million contract from the Ducks. Anaheim needed to clear room for their future and give them room to sign Cam Fowler to a new deal.

Next: Is a big trade approaching?

Unless there are issues with Despres’ health, the Leafs should be looking at bringing in the Laval native. It would give them depth options and more competition in camp.

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