Auston Matthews’ absence has highlighted the club’s need to shore up its center depth.
Auston Matthews’ absence has highlighted the club’s need to shore up its center depth.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and general manager Brad Treliving seem to have their eyes set on adding to one position in particular as the NHL approaches closer to the March 7 trade deadline.
On Monday, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman joined The Fan Hockey Show with Anna Dua and Mike Futa, emphasizing that the clear preference for Treliving and the Maple Leafs is to reportedly acquire a center with term, though they’re open to pivoting to a rental if the fit is right.
“I think that’s the number one thing that he’s (Treliving) been looking for all season,” Friedman said, referencing the addition of center depth. “Aside from the injuries, I think they’re pretty comfortable in goal… Stolarz and Woll, knock on wood they can stay healthy, I think they’re going to be okay with that.”
Friedman noted that while the defense corps is solid after offseason adjustments in notable acquisitions like Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Maple Leafs’ primary focus remains to acquire a reliable center.
“I think they’ve been generally okay with their D,” Friedman explained. “They did a lot of their work in the offseason. I think now there is a question of whether they need to go find someone to play with (Morgan) Rielly. Is there a stylistic fit they like? But it’s not their number one priority, I don’t believe. I believe their number one thing all season has been – let’s find another center.”
According to Friedman, if the Leafs are going to splurge at the deadline, giving up coveted assets that are hard to come by in the NHL, the center being acquired would need term attached to his current contract.
Not to mention, the Leafs do not currently own the rights to a 2025 first-round pick, which was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks (top-10 protected) in a deal that saw the club acquire Jake McCabe in February of 2023.
This would mean that they’d have to rely either on other remaining capital later in the 2025 draft, in the coming years, or, of course, assets of tangible players. The other factor is cap space. According to PuckPedia.com, the Leafs currently only have $663,229 available – deal-making could get dicey.
“I think their preference is the term. That’s one thing I’ve heard out there is that preference is term,” said Friedman. “If there is a rental that they really like, I’m sure they’ll pivot to that too. But one of the things I’ve heard is that if they’re going to go and spend assets on a center, they would prefer it to be someone with term.”
The need for center depth was evident from the jump, with a mountain of injuries piling up from the start of the season. While short-term solutions like calling up Fraser Minten provided temporary relief, the Maple Leafs still face the long-term challenge of finding a dependable presence in the middle of the ice.
In November, James Mirtle of The Athletic suggested names like Ryan O’Reilly, Nazem Kadri, Mikael Granlund, Nick Bjugstad, Brock Nelson, Yanni Gourde, Trent Frederic, Radek Faska, and Sean Kuraly, that could fit the mold.
Adding a high-impact player who can control the middle of the ice is what the team is and has been looking for. Heck, it’s even led to hypothetical scenarios involving Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, though such a move remains far-fetched.
With the trade deadline still three months away, the Leafs have time to monitor the market and make a calculated decision. However, they appear unwilling to part with significant assets unless they secure a player with term, ensuring a long-term return on their investment. Regardless, Treliving and the Leafs will have to do some maneuvering.
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