Latest Report on Maple Leafs' Trade Plans Sure to Frustrate the Majority of the Fan Base
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is looking to add another center to his lineup, but his conditions are likely to leave fans feeling frustrated.
It's no secret that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is looking to add another center before the NHL trade deadline on March 7.
One insider has already guaranteed a bold move by Treliving at the trade deadline to get the pivot he wants, but another is not so sure.
On the latest edition of TSN's Insider Trading, Darren Dreger confirmed their desire for a center, but states there is a specific type in mind for the Maple Leafs. The type is likely to leave fans feeling somewhat frustrated.
"Scott Laughton is out there again, but the Flyers want a first-round draft pick in return, so maybe that's a stretch. Mikael Granlund's name is out there. Yanni Gourde. Nick Bjugstad. I'll tell you this, Brad Treliving's whiteboard is probably jammed with more affordable centers."
Affordable is great, but it usually means the player you acquire won't be a big impact name, something that seems to have become all too common for the Maple Leafs when it comes to trades made at or near the deadline.
A run at the Stanley Cup requires as much depth as possible, and adding someone at the deadline who won't make a major impact seems redundant and unproductive.
Yes, the Leafs did previously acquire Ryan O'Reilly ahead of the deadline a few years back, but in terms of impact players, the organization has often skimped out and gone after cheaper targets, which hasn't really helped their cause -- only further depleting their draft capital and prospect pool with very little to show for their loss of assets.
If or when Treliving makes the move for a center, hopefully it's someone who can make a splash and not just eat up minutes when Auston Matthews and John Tavares aren't on the ice.
