Giordano discussed his trade to Toronto and who he thinks the team should trade for before the NHL trade deadline on March 7.
Mar 2, 2023; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano (55) during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano will return at the NHL trade deadline, though it won't be on the ice.
The 41-year-old joined TSN 1050's OverDrive on Tuesday to announce that he will join the company for their trade deadline coverage on Mar. 7. Giordano hasn't stepped foot in an NHL game since last season with the Maple Leafs, where he appeared in 46 games.
The NHL's shot blocks leader (2,164) joined Toronto in 2022 after being traded by Seattle in exchange for two second-round picks (2022 and 2023) and a 2024 third-round pick.
Giordano relived the trade on Tuesday with OverDrive, providing an interesting tidbit about how he found out he was traded.
"I had a lot of interest, I guess, from the Eastern Conference that year for some reason. I think there were a few teams kicking around and Toronto was one of the names. And once I heard their name, I was like, 'Okay, that'd be pretty cool going back home at the end and having a legit shot of playing on a contender,'" Giordano said.
"And actually, it was funny, I was at the rink on a day off and I was in the steam room. I come out of the steam room and one of the trainers was like, 'Ronny (Kraken GM Ron Francis) wants to talk to you.' And I'm like, 'Ronny, what's he doing here?' Anyways, he came down and he broke the trade (to Toronto) to me. I didn't find out from anyone else. I found out directly from him, which was cool. And then, as soon as he told me, they announced it later and the phone just goes wild for about 48 hours."
Giordano played 144 games with the Maple Leafs over three years, scoring nine goals and 36 assists. The defenseman was also a part of Toronto's first-round series win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
That year, Giordano saw firsthand how good of a pairing Morgan Rielly and Luke Schenn were. Being on TSN's trade deadline coverage, he was asked on Tuesday who he thinks Toronto should attempt to acquire before the deadline.
He believes the Maple Leafs should add Schenn again, plus a depth center.
"I think Brayden Schenn's name has come up (from insiders). I really like Scott Laughton. I trained with him in the summer, his name has come up. But I was kind of wondering, looking at their roster, just if you'd take a look at a right-handed centerman," Giordano said.
"On D, their D's been good. I think their goaltending has been solid. Their team game has been really solid, in my opinion. But I don't know, Luke Schenn on the backend, him and Mo (Morgan Rielly) gelled so well. I was looking at that one too the other day and I was like, 'You almost have to look at it, right?' Because they played so well together in the playoffs the one year."
Toronto is first in the Atlantic Division with 74 points, one point ahead of the Florida Panthers, and with one game in hand.
The Maple Leafs have just over $2.2 million in cap space with Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million) and Jani Hakanpaa ($1.47 million) on long-term injured reserve.
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