Highlander said:
As long as they keep the Pylon you have the D Man eating minutes, you also have a stable of pretty interesting defensemen, Percy, the Swedes, etc. that will be working their way onto the big team and you have Rielly getting better every game. Gardiner has looked way better under Horachuk as well.
But through your repeated use of the super clever and not at all tired label of "Pylon" you're admitting the Leafs don't have someone who sufficiently fills the role. Phaneuf inhabits the role of a #1 defenseman in the exact same way that Bozak inhabits the role of a #1 centre, which is to say not all that well. The Leafs also have any number of promising prospects at centre. Kadri, Carrick, McKegg, Brown, Gauthier and so on. Are any of them likely to be the ideal #1 centre? No, but outside of Rielly having a chance none of the defensemen you mention are ever likely to be challenging for a Norris either.
We're not talking about organizational depth here, we're talking about elite talent and in that regard the Leafs are largely as bare at defense as they are down the middle or anywhere really.