Insider Identifies Maple Leafs as a Suitor for Forward from Atlantic Division Rival

In his latest piece for The Fourth Period, Dave Pagnotta acknowledged that the Leafs are not just looking for help in the top-six, but also for a physical presence.

There are a number of players that could fit either or both roles such as such as St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn or Seattle's Yanni Gourde or the Flyers' Scott Laughton.

Prices vary, as we all know, and the Leafs don't have many assets to part with. On Tuesday, however, DFO's Frank Seravalli named the Leafs as a potential suitor for Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

The Bruins may have accepted their fate as a seller this season and are willing to entertain offers on a number of players, but perhaps none may be more coveted than Frederic.

The pending UFA carries a $2.3M cap hit and can play down the middle or on the wing. At 6'3 and 220 pounds, the 27-year-old can not only put the puck in the net at times, but he is also one of the more physical players in the league.

He checks all the boxes for the Leafs in terms of a bottom-six forward and according to Seravalli, the acquisition cost may not be too bad either, comparing it to when the Avalanche acquired Lars Eller from Washington for a 2nd-round pick in 2023.

The Leafs have Florida's 2nd-round pick in this year's draft and it is seen as one of, if not the most likely asset Treliving is going to move as he is expected to be very busy over the next 10 days.

A pest who isn't afraid to drop the gloves, but also isn't nearly as much of a liability as Ryan Reaves, Frederic could be a quietly effective addition for a Leafs team hoping to go on a deep playoff run.

Let's also not forget Frederic scored 3 times in the Bruins' series win against the Leafs last post-season, so as the old adage goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em right?

The kicker here is that Frederic suffered an injury against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday and will be sidelined on a week-to-week basis. Still, knowing that he's due back at some point before the playoffs, his injury shouldn't be viewed as too much of a deterrent.