Toronto Maple Leafs Miss Out on Key Third-Line Center as He's Traded to the Washington Capitals

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Chris Gerics
November 12, 2024 (7:29 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs lost a chance to add a savvy veteran to their team as Lars Eller was sent from Pittsburgh to Washington for two draft picks.

With Toronto seeking center help, they have a few options they could turn to. If Brad Treliving needed grit, there was Yanni Gourde. If he wants youth; Trent Frederic. But what he needed was a true veteran center with winning experience and credentials to back it up.

Toronto should have focused on trading for Lars Eller. Eller, a 16-year veteran who is a Stanley Cup winner with over 400 points and 1000 NHL games. He can add a lot to a team for a fairly cheap cost.

Well, Brad Treliving missed the boat on Eller, as Kyle Dubas shipped the veteran back to the Washington Capitals (where he won a Stanley Cup) for two draft picks as Pittsburgh looks to recoup assets where they can:

So with Eller out of the picture, who else could Brad Treliving and the Leafs target? Three names come to mind: The aforementioned Yanni Gourde, and Trent Frederic. But also, a surprise addition from one of their greatest rivals.

Who is Yanni Gourde?

Gourde, who spent time with Tampa Bay before heading to Seattle in 2021, has enjoyed a very solid NHL career thus far. He has 319 career points which includes a career-best 25 goals and 64 points in 2017-18; not bad for a bottom-six contributor.

Gourde would be the perfect fit for Craig Berube's system too. He's not the biggest but he certainly shows grit, heart, and toughness which Berube appreciates and strives for in his team. He's also been rumored to be on the trade block in Seattle as well:

Sliding Gourde in the middle between Max Domi and Nick Robertson could create a scrappy, speedy, but potentially offensive nightmare line for the opposition. Domi and Gourde's playmaking can also help Robertson break out of his goal-scoring slump.

He is a bit expensive at $5.1M but with Toronto sending David Kampf/Calle Jarnkrok, as well as getting Gourdes' salary retained it could pay off huge.

Who is Trent Frederic?

Trent Frederic is a big man. Standing 6-foot-3, weighing 220 pounds, and moving like lightning, he's scary, to say the least. Frederic is struggling this year with Boston, only having three points in 16 games, and has been on a very bad Bruins team who have all been struggling.

But there's so much potential with Frederic. He's been able to score 48 goals and 97 points over his career so far and had his career-best season last year with 40 points in only 13:45 of ice time.

Putting Frederic into the lineup solves a lot of issues too. If Berube wants to keep big-bodied players together, he could add him with Bobby McMann and Max Domi to create a hybrid of skill and size. Or he can replace David Kampf and control the 4th line and improve their production.

Frederic comes cheaper than Gourde and is much younger too, at only 26. His $2.3M cap hit won't be too much of an issue for the Maple Leafs especially if they can move money around through LTIR, other trades, and waiver assignments.

Who Is Christian Dvorak?

This is where it gets interesting. Dvorak is a member of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto's greatest rival. It may be weird to have him on the team, but Max Pacioretty seemed to fit in fine before he got injured (ironically in a game against Montreal).

Dvorak is a 9-year NHL veteran who spent time with Arizona as well before Montreal and has quietly been one of the unsung heroes for the Canadiens. Scoring 223 points in 468 games and being a blistering 52.3% on faceoffs for his career, Toronto could absolutely use someone like him.

Watch this gorgeous nearly full-ice feed for an assist:

He also ticks all the boxes that Treliving and Berube want. He's big, gritty, tough, plays hard, wins faceoffs, kills penalties, scores when needed, and doesn't give up on the play. It's just a shame that he's stuck on a spiraling Montreal team with no end in sight, but does have 7 points in 16 games.

He's not cheap, nor does Toronto have any immediacy to trade with a heated rival. However, Dvorak is spinning his wheels in Montreal, is rumored to be on the move, and needs a change of scenery. He's never won, and Toronto gives him the best chance to succeed. Brad Treliving and Kent Hughes need to have a chat.