Insider Urges Maple Leafs to Target Former Craig Berube Players Ahead of the Trade Deadline
With the Maple Leafs having some clear holes they need filling, NHL Insider Jonas Siegel believes the team should bring in a couple of Craig Berube's former players.
There's no doubt that Brad Treliving and the Leafs are going to make a big splash ahead of the trade deadline, and there is a laundry list of names who could come in and help the team make a deep playoff push.
The team has been linked to names like Brock Nelson and Brayden Schenn; but speaking of the latter, the Maple Leafs could look to reunite Craig Berube with a couple of other former players according to a new report.
Ryan O'Reilly Or Colton Parayko Reunite With Craig Berube To Try and Win In Toronto
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic in a recent article in a recent article talked about the needs the Maple Leafs have and how they can go about fixing them.
The first thing he addressed was Toronto's need for a center, and brought up former Leafs pivot Ryan O'Reilly as an option:
Put together a compelling trade package, one that perhaps includes a top prospect like Minten and maybe even a top pick too, and the Predators may have to think long and hard about asking the 34-year-old to accept a return to Toronto.
O'Reilly's tenure with the Maple Leafs ended on a sour note after he ditched the team for the Nashville Predators due to some turmoil in the locker room.
When he was with the team however, he was fantastic in his short stint and was a big reason why Toronto made it past round one.
O'Reilly had nine points in 11 games (3G, 6A) including a clutch game-tying goal to give the team a fighting chance.
This season, O'Reilly has been solid for a middling Predators team. In 51 games he has 14 goals and 20 assists while winning 56.2% of his face-offs averaging 18:49 TOI.
The caveat with O'Reilly is his price, and while his contract isn't terribly expensive; the cost to acquire him is.
Toronto will need to really persuade Nashville to take either a big package of picks and mid-tier prospects, or bite the bullet with Minten as Siegel states.
Parayko on the other hand would solve a lot of issues on Toronto's blueline, as it gives them a true elite defenseman alongside Morgan Rielly, and gives Craig Berube another former Stanley Cup winner.
Parayko is currently focused on winning gold in the 4 Nations Face-off, and his presence there has helped the Canadians reach the finals.
While back in the NHL regular season, Parayko has been stellar.
In 55 games he has 12 goals, 17 assists, 127 blocks, 87 hits and only 8 PIM while averaging 24:13 TOI.
Back when he won a Cup with Berube and the Blues, Parayko was a demon on the ice, playing in 26 games and scoring 12 points and averaging over 25 minutes of ice time.
The cost for Parayko would be even bigger than O'Reilly, and the commitment to another defenseman long-term could be a huge concern says Siegel:
Is there a centre who fits the team's needs in the short and long term and wasn't thought to be available?
How willing are the Leafs to spend the best of their assets to acquire impactful help?
A willingness to include Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Fraser Minten and the team's 2026 first-round pick, among other assets, in trade conversations opens up more possibilities.
While adding either player would be a huge boost to two very key factors in a deep playoff push: Are the Maple Leafs willing to spend to win, and if so, what's the cost going to look like down the line if they don't?
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FEVRIER 19 | 356 ANSWERS Insider Urges Maple Leafs to Target Former Craig Berube Players Ahead of the Trade Deadline Which player do you think the Maple Leafs should target? Colton Parayko or Ryan O'Reilly? | ||
