The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make more moves before the trade deadline with a strong possibility of adding a centre. The Leafs have been thin down the middle of the ice. Also, with Auston Matthews being sidelined for 13 games, Toronto’s lack of centre depth has been highlighted. Even though the Leafs have a winning record without Matthews this season at 8-5-0, they’ve struggled against playoff teams.
Without their captain, the team has lost to the Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, and Washington Capitals. If and when the Maple Leafs make the playoffs, their going to need that depth in their middle six forward group. If Toronto’s star players have a dry spell, and they tend to in the playoffs, they have players to rely on. That explains the long search for a centre.
“If they’re going to go spend assets on a centre, they would prefer it to be someone with term.”@FriedgeHNIC outlines Toronto’s needs ahead of the new year with @AnnaNoelleDua & @FutaMichael. #LeafsForever
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Maple Leafs Looking For A Boost At Centre
As the season goes on, information about what the Leafs are looking for in a centre becomes more detailed. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs are looking for a centre with term on their contract. Typically, buyers look for players who are pending free agents because they have less value, making it easier to acquire them. Also, it gives the acquiring team more freedom with the contract, they have the option to let them go at the end of the season if they aren’t a good fit. These types of transactions are called ‘rentals.’
The Maple Leafs made a trade of that nature just a few seasons ago. Former general manager Kyle Dubas acquired Ryan O’Reilly from the St. Louis Blues. O’Reilly was a huge help to the Leafs during his time there. Sometimes he acted as the third-line centre behind Matthews and John Tavares. Other times he moved up to the top six pushing a centre to the wing to enhance his famous two-way game and faceoff abilities. He would also be on the ice for late-game situations, attacking or defending. Ultimately, the Leafs went on to win their first playoff series for the first time in nearly 20 years. This time around, the Leafs are looking for something a little different. They’re looking for a player who will be a part of the project in Toronto.
Toronto Looking For Another Defenceman
Friedman also reported that the Maple Leafs could potentially look for another right-sided defenceman. General manager Brad Treliving made a splash in the offseason, acquiring plenty of defencemen. Therefore, it’s not exactly a necessity for the Maple Leafs to find another blueliner. However, if they came around to it in a perfect world, they would like to find a new D-partner for Morgan Rielly. One of the defencemen that Treliving brought in this past summer was Chris Tanev. There was an understanding that Tanev would be Rielly’s long-awaited top pairing partner. However, head coach Craig Berube believes he found a better match in Tanev and Jake McCabe.
Rielly is the longest-tenured Maple Leaf on the team, joining the club in the 2013-14 season. Since then, he’s had some great seasons, but considering his role in the team, he leaves fans wanting more. Toronto is one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to scoring from defencemen. Rielly, who is supposed to be the team’s number-one D-man, has scored less than 10 goals in the last three seasons. Shopping for a new partner for him may be an attempt to rejuvenate Rielly’s offensive contributions.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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