It was a bit of an under-the-radar trade deadline move when the Maple Leafs sent a draft pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for a college defenceman, it clearly signalled what kind of blue line GM Brad Treliving wants — big.

The six-foot-seven, 210-pound Cade Webber finally signed with the Leafs on Thursday.

“Cade is a guy our guys have been tracking a lot, not just this year, but prior to that,” Treliving said last month after the Leafs acquired his rights. “Again, there might be a theme here, he’s a long defender.”

Treliving likes big defencemen, as evidenced by his acquisitions of Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin before the deadline. Webber fits that mould.

“I know people might look at his stat line, he’s a defence-first guy,” Treliving said. “He’s a big body. He moves well. Moves the puck well. But his calling card is defending, penalty-killing.”

The 23-year-old signed a two-year deal with an average annual value of $875,000 (U.S.). He had six assists in 38 games at Boston University, with the Terriers advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Frozen Four.

Webber held the cards as a four-year college player. Drafted 99th by Carolina in 2019, he could have become a free agent on Aug. 15, able to choose whichever NHL team he wanted.