Brad Treliving's Trade Plans for a Center Hit a Major Setback
Brad Treliving's trade plans may have hit a major snag, and it's less to do with a certain player, but just how good the NHL has been this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to eventually make a deal, and whether or not it's going to be a big splash or a couple of depth moves remains to be seen, but there's no doubt the team is doing their homework.
Several names have been bandied around that the Leafs could go after, but there's always the possibility the team overpays or the fit they thought would be perfect, is awkward at best.
There is one little extra caveat that the team needs to get through however, but it's out of their control.
The NHL Standings Are Causing A Headache For Brad Treliving
According to Elliotte Friedman during his latest '32 Thoughts' podcast, the NHL Insider spoke about how the NHL standings are causing a big concern for not only Brad Treliving but for all the League's GM's:
It's not a surprise that teams are bashful regarding a potential deal, as the teams that are really only out of the race tend to be Chicago, San Jose, and Nashville.
Even in the Eastern Conference, the last place Buffalo Sabres are only seven points out of a playoff spot.
Currently the Maple Leafs are sitting first in the Atlantic Division but has Florida right on their heels only four points back. While third-place Tampa is still 10 points clear of Toronto, Boston is only one back of Tampa, with Ottawa, Montreal, and Detroit only five points behind the Lightning.
The Metropolitan Division looks more of the same, with five points separating last place Philadelphia with fourth-place Columbus.
A lot of the names bandied around for the Leafs are all a part of these close playoff teams minus a couple of exceptions; but those players might even still be a bit of a longshot.
Of all the teams that the Maple Leafs could make a trade for, it really helps narrow things down to potentially Mikael Granlund of San Jose, Ryan O'Reilly of Nashville, and Yanni Gourde of Seattle (who is just on the cusp of making the playoffs).
If Treliving could make a trade for one of these players, he might be in the best possible state given that he can acquire the players he needs, while others teams sit back and wait things out; contemplating whether a splash is worth it.
