Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo has criticized Brendan Shanahan for not being more involved in drafting defensemen. On his podcast, “First Up,” Colaiacovo expressed frustration with Shanahan and the Leafs’ approach, claiming they have neglected to build up their defensive prospects in favor of focusing on offensive talent.

Colaiacovo pointed out that the team’s last significant effort to draft and develop a defenseman was with Morgan Rielly, and since then, the Leafs have largely ignored that position. He believes this oversight is a key reason why the Leafs struggle in the playoffs, lacking the defense needed to contain opposing top scorers.

While the Leafs have drafted defensemen like Justin Holl, Rasmus Sandin, and Timothy Liljegren recently, Colaiacovo doubts they will reach the level of excellence achieved by Rielly. Since Rielly was drafted fifth overall in 2012, he has played 791 games for the Leafs, tallying 80 goals and 392 assists.

Colaiacovo is disheartened by Shanahan and the team’s focus on drafting forwards and believes this narrow vision is detrimental. He argues that the Leafs’ ongoing attempts to trade for defensemen, rather than developing their own, have resulted in poor deals and hindered the team’s success.

Colaiacovo, who was drafted by the Leafs in 2001 and had a solid career with the team, played 470 NHL games and earned 157 points.