Insider Identifies Veteran Forward as the Maple Leafs' Main Deadline Trade Target

The talk all season long surrounding the Leafs' deadline plans has been to acquire another centerman, and given GM Brad Treliving's comments earlier this week, that hasn't changed.

Although Treliving doesn't believe he can acquire a center better than Auston Matthews and John Tavares, he is still aiming for a high-end addition according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.

On Thursday's JD Bunkis Podcast, Kypreos was asked who was at the top of the Leafs' wish list, and Kypreos revealed that an Islanders center is number one, which is in line with other previous reports.

Nelson has been linked to the Leafs multiple times this season and although acquiring the 33-year-old would come at a steep price, particularly with the Leafs needing salary retention on Nelson's $6M salary, Kypreos, like many, believes that the Leafs need to do more than just add depth pieces.

Despite the Leafs looking to acquire a player with term, the pending unrestricted free agent is the type of player the Leafs need. He can play up and down the lineup, is an 8-time 20-goal scorer, and plays on both special teams.

Through 44 games with the Islanders so far, Nelson has tallied 12 goals and 26 points, which would rank him sixth on the Leafs.