John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Maple Leafs reached the midpoint of the season jockeying with the Washington Capitals for first place in the Eastern Conference standings. Nevertheless, concerns about their depth at center arose as Auston Matthews battles a nagging upper-body injury that sidelined him for 15 games during the first half.
Pundits believe Leafs general manager Brad Treliving will go shopping for a center before the March 7 trade deadline.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Leafs management has identified a diverse group of centers to target in the trade market. Options could include Ryan Strome of the Anaheim Ducks, Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks, Yanni Gourde of the Seattle Kraken and Nick Bjugstad of the Utah Hockey Club.
Dreger also wondered about bringing back Ryan O’Reilly, who briefly played for the Maple Leafs in 2022-23. O’Reilly signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators in the summer of 2023 worth an average annual value of $4.5 million and lacks no-trade protection.
O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy leading the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019. However, the two-way center will be 34 on Feb. 7 and his best seasons are behind him.
Dreger mentioned Scott Laughton’s name is out there in the trade market but the Philadelphia Flyers’ asking price is a first-round pick.
Former Sportsnet host Sid Seixeiro believes the Leafs should use Easton Cowan as a trade chip following the youngster’s shaky performance for Canada at the recent world juniors. Seixeiro claims Cowan has value and recommends the Leafs don’t sit on this potential trade chip.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman disagrees. He thinks Cowan’s value will never be lower than it is right now. Friedman also said it was “bananas” to give up on the young forward simply because of two bad weeks at the WJC.
“I think it’s bananas to give up on, someone you really think highly of based on two bad weeks.”
🚨🎙️ @FriedgeHNIC on Easton Cowan:
“I know Cowan really struggled the last couple of weeks, but I think you’re insane if you’re giving up on this kid based on two bad weeks. I see… pic.twitter.com/Nnri4Z8w12
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) January 3, 2025
Speaking of the Flyers and Laughton, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic acknowledged the trade rumors about the 30-year-old center, who carries an affordable $3 million AAV through 2025-26. He cited a team source claiming Flyers management lacks interest in moving Laughton.
Kurz considers the rejuvenated Rasmus Ristolainen the Flyer most likely to be moved by the trade deadline. The 30-year-old defenseman has two more seasons on his contract with an AAV of $5.1 million. He also lacks no-trade protection.
The Athletic’s Murat Ates reported the Winnipeg Jets kicked tires on Ristolainen before he resuscitated his career this season. He thinks they could revisit their interest in the big blueliner.
Related: Flames, Flyers And Canadiens Among NHL’s Biggest Positive Surprises At Halfway Mark
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