Leafs could look for homerun trade on the blue line.

The Toronto Maple Leads have a horde of draft picks over the course of the next two drafts, and one ESPN writer believes they could use some of those assets to make a big upgrade on the blue line this summer.

ESPN's Matthew Coller believes winning the draft lottery may have accelerated the Maple Leafs rebuild, and he has suggested that the Leafs could or even should go after Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie, and he makes a good case.

Winning the draft lottery could accelerate the rebuild process for the Maple Leafs. With presumptive No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews likely to make an impact right away, and former early first-rounders Mitch Marner and William Nylander ready to play full time at the highest level, another skilled young defenseman could set them up to compete for the foreseeable future.

If Toronto is building for skill and speed, Barrie could be the perfect complement to all-around defenseman Morgan Rielly.

Barrie would be an excellent fit for Toronto in many ways, as a restricted free agent the Maple Leafs could be looking at several more years of control, and Barrie by all accounts is looking for a long term deal albeit at a healthy price tag. With that said, 24 year old defenseman with Barrie's talent don't hit the trade market very often, and this may be an option the Leafs seriously contemplate.

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