That's the kind of "defense by committee" move I could get on board with.
Defense by committee can work with the Leafs but they need to overhaul their D zone system. Talk is about getting a #1 D like Doughty but how good is he going to be when all he is doing is firing pucks up the ice trying to hit a stretch pass or a lob pass to a winger flying the zone. Pass gets cut off and back again defending vs attacking with speed.
Start with keeping all 5 guys in your zone and make short 5 foot passes then use your speed to attack thru the NZ and into the O zone. Sure you might have to dump it in depending on if the other team is trapping but at least you got speed and their D are flat footed at that point.
Goes back to maintaining possession and less defending.
You don't need a #1 if it cost lots but you can have Gards, Reilly, Dermott, #22 all able to make short 5 foot passes to stark breakouts or use their skating ability to breakdown the forecheck. Worse case your wingers need to win 1 on 1 battles at our blue line vs the other teams D.
Do you can build a D like Pits and win cause they had the forwards who played a proper system and bought in.
Fix the breakout and D zone coverage and your D corps looks lot better.