Brad Treliving and the Leafs May Want to Avoid Top Trade Target After New Report
The Maple Leafs are looking for their impact third line center, however some new reports might indicate they want to go a different route than initially planned.
Brad Treliving is under immense pressure to make some type of move to help the Maple Leafs this season.
He struck out on adding Frank Vatrano, was outbid for John Klingberg, and is slowly watching his options slip away.
The team needs a lot of help down the middle, they need to add some offensive firepower to their blueline, and then need to contend with an inconsistent powerplay on top of everything else; a huge glaring issue all season.
NHL Insider Frank Seravalli has revealed that trade target Yanni Gourde has been dealing with some injuries, but could still garner lots of interest; but should Brad Treliving avoid him altogether?
Yanni Gourde's Banged Up Season A Red Flag For Toronto
Gourde hasn't played a game since Jan 2. and still has a couple of weeks to go before he returns according to GM Ron Francis, and with how Toronto's luck this season has gone with injuries, it's way too risky to invest in such a wild card.
Yes, Gourde can offer a great third line center to Craig Berube, with his scoring potential, relentless engine, defensive skills, and playoff production.
But his risk of re-injury is high, and with how Berube employs his system; it could be a quick end if he were to come in.
Not to mention Toronto would need Seattle to hold onto some salary, and not having a first round pick in this year's draft hurts them exponentially.
Seravalli wrote on Gourde in his article profiling the forward:
NHL EDGE indicates a steady decline in Gourde's top skating speed, speed bursts and shot speed.
His ice time has dropped nearly two full minutes year over year and his point production has waned, now on track for potentially the least productive season of his career. Two of his six goals this season are empty-netters.
It is not just the volume of Gourde's shots this season, but also the location, that is concerning. He has just 71 shot attempts in 35 games, and 38 of them are on-goal.
Yet, more than half of those shot attempts are from mid and long-range, which are not high percentage for a guy who scores almost exclusively around the net.
Despite being known for his grit, Gourde is not an overly physical player. In Seattle, Gourde has averaged approximately five hits per 60 minutes, which levels out to just about one per game at even-strength.
One thing to keep a close eye on is Gourde's health. This is his third stint out of the lineup this season.
That could also help explain his drop in production and impact, if it's something that has been lingering all season."
Toronto can't afford to pay the price to acquire Gourde, whether it be one of their prospects, a bunch of picks, or a combination of the two; it's going to cost a lot and Francis isn't going to budge.
Yanni Gourde was once Toronto's key to a deep playoff push, but now it's looking like the team is staring directly into a sea of red flags.
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