Brad Treliving May Have Found a 3C; Leafs Officially Linked to Chicago Blackhawks Center
Photo credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
As Leafs GM Brad Treliving continues to look at adding depth at center, one insider has connected the Maple Leafs to an interesting option in Chicago.
The Max Domi experiment as the 3C for the Maple Leafs hasn't worked all that well and Craig Berube has had trouble finding a solution to his problem at the third line center position all season.
Pontus Holmberg, Fraser Minten, David Kampf and even William Nylander have unsuccessfully attempted to solidify the position leaving Brad Treliving no choice but continue and expand his search for a more natural fit at 3C.
The Leafs have been searching for a fit since almost the beginning of the season, exploring the addition of veteran, high-priced centers like Brock Nelson in Long Island, as well as much more affordable options in the likes of Luke Kunin in San Jose.
The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta released his updated 'Trade Bait' list on Monday and one new name that appeared was Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato.
The 28-year-old can play all forward positions, similar to Calle Jarnkrok, but has spent most of his time centering the third or fourth line of the Hawks this season. The second-round pick in 2014 has 14 goals and 28 points in 47 games with Chicago and carries a very reasonable $2M cap hit.
His 14 goals would tie him with Bobby McMann for sixth most goals on the Leafs and would give the team more offensive punch in the bottom six as well as another penalty killer and physical presence, which I'm sure Craig Berube would appreciate.
The Leafs may have to get a third team to retain or send some salary back to Chicago to make a deal for the Boston native work as the Hawks are currently out of retention spots due to the organization retaining salary in the blockbuster trade involving Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall on Friday.
As the trade deadline is now just 6 weeks away, we can expect the chatter to pick up and likely see the Leafs pull the trigger on a deal sooner than later to shore up the forward group.
Although the Leafs would prefer someone with term, Donato, a pending UFA, would be cheap to re-sign should he and the Leafs see a fit there beyond this season.
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