Toronto Maple Leafs Are Officially Trading for a Center, Per Elliotte Friedman
Elliotte Friedman recently wrote in his latest 32 Thoughts article that the Maple Leafs are hunting for a center. Will Brad Treliving pull the trigger?
It's obvious the Toronto Maple Leafs have a severe lack of depth down the middle. They have used everyone from Max Domi to Steven Lorentz, to rookie Fraser Minten.
Those aren't names that jump off the page and while great players in their own right, they don't add the punch Toronto needs (though Minten certainly made a case on Wednesday night).
Well it seems Brad Treliving is on the hunt, and given that Toronto has been seen scouting teams over the past several weeks, an early-season trade is potentially in the works.
Per Elliotte Friedman's latest '32 Thoughts' article, among a variety of topics, Toronto needing a centerman came up:
The Blackhawks and Predators have the advantage of more cap space/high picks to trade, and more of a willingness to do it at this time. But as the season continues and cap-strapped teams try to build space, competition will increase."
So how can Toronto get a trade going?
What Are Toronto's Assets For Trading?
They aren't great but they do have some pieces. Nicholas Robertson can be dangled about, especially given his role in the lineup is going to be less and less once players return from injury.
With Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin almost solidifying their spot in the lineup after just one game, it's looking bad for Robertson. He hasn't scored more than one goal and doesn't offer much else in the way of defense.
Toronto also has some bloated deals they could hopefully persuade a team to take on.
Perhaps Toronto can swing a trade involving David Kampf or Calle Jarnkrok (if a team agrees to it) for a team looking to add some more defense to their bottom six in exchange for a hit on offense.
The team could also dangle their draft picks and give up their potential future for someone who is a game changer like Evgeni Malkin or Brock Nelson, along with the appropriate players (Kampf, Holmberg, Robertson).
Toronto would rather not go into their farm system but if it brings aboard someone like Nelson, but could swing a trade with Nathan Mayes or Semyon Der-Arguchintsev along with Robertson and a pick to bring in a true center.
Issues lie in the fact that other teams just have more to offer than Toronto, but the Maple Leafs have enough intriguing pieces to make a deal happen.
It may not be the flashiest trade or something that makes fans go wild, but if it helps the team get into a deep playoff run, it won't matter who it is, all that matters is the win.
| POLL | ||
Should the Toronto Maple Leafs make a trade for a center by Christmas? | ||
| Yes we need it! | 941 | 52.9 % |
| No, wait until the New Year | 312 | 17.5 % |
| Only if it doesn't cost too much | 412 | 23.2 % |
| When is Auston Matthews back? | 114 | 6.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
