Remarks From Leafs GM Brad Treliving Point to a Very Specific Trade Deadline Addition
Brad Treliving addressed what to expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline and it may be a little different from what we expected.
After a blistering start to the season that has the Toronto Maple Leafs positioned at the top of the Atlantic Division, most of the focus is now shifting towards the trade deadline, which is less than 2 months away.
With the 4 Nations Face-Off kicking off in about a month, there could be a lot more movement earlier than expected and the Maple Leafs will assuredly be in the thick of a lot of rumours and will be connected to a number of available players.
However, while many think that the Maple Leafs are in need of acquiring a top-flight center to alleviate some of the pressure off Auston Matthews and John Tavares, Treliving gave us a little insight into why that might not be attainable this year, as reported by Sportsnet's Luke Fox on Monday.
'What you want and sometimes what's available are two different things, so we'll keep looking.'"
Instead, what the Maple Leafs might focus on more is acquiring a power play specialist, considering the troubling state that the man advantage is currently in:
The Leafs' power play is ranked 19th in the NHL after top-7 finishes in each of the 3 years prior, which included a league-best power play conversion rate in 2021-22.
In terms of what a power play difference maker actually means, that remains to be seen, but as loaded as the top-unit is right now, there is very little margin for error. Factor in the fact that the second unit only has 2 power play goals all season, something needs to be done.
With what's currently available, that could possibly mean acquiring a forward like Taylor Hall, Joel Farabee, Kyle Palmieri, or Yanni Gourde. If they want a defenseman with more offensive pop, they could lean towards Bowen Byram, Ivan Provorov, or K'Andre Miller, who should all be available for one reason or another, according to Frank Seravalli's recent trade target board.
It will be difficult to make a blockbuster trade without a 2025 first round pick, but the Leafs do possess a second rounder this year as well as their first round picks in 2026 and 2027 should they feel the need to mortgage the future for a more prolific star.
Otherwise, expect more reasonable moves to address the depth and power play ahead of this year's March 7th trade deadline.
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