Insider Elliotte Friedman Reveals Brad Treliving's Top Priority for Leafs Ahead of Trade Deadline

It's been the team's biggest open secret that Brad Treliving is focused on making a trade before the March 7 deadline. In desperate need of scoring and depth, there are several options he can choose from that range from cheap to downright stunning.

But with their scoring issues a much bigger problem as of late, and questions surrounding the health of Auston Matthews, Toronto needs to get better down the middle. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman believes that Toronto is going to do so and are solely focused on adding a center to shore up their depth.

Brad Treliving has been in the NHL executive game for a long time, and he knows what it's going to take in order to bring aboard the right pieces that add the depth, scoring, and defense he seeks.

But desperation is seemingly sinking in. If Toronto starts losing more and more, unable to get their offense in check and struggling to get their powerplay going again; the calls to make a trade are going to get deafening for the Leafs GM.

Names like Juuso Parssinen, Lars Eller, Kaapo Kakko, and Daniel Sprong have all been traded and they would have fit perfectly within Craig Berube's bottom six.

All were cheap options that wouldn't cost Toronto more than a few picks (minus the exception of Kakko who may have been a bit more costly), but all would have been a step up from the current crop.

Toronto needs to shift gears now and focus on acquiring someone like Yanni Gourde, who recently was reported to be willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to play with the Leafs. Problem is he costs a lot of money, and unless Seattle eats a significant portion; the cost may be too high.

Same goes for Nazem Kadri and Sidney Crosby. While yes, both men would instantly make the Leafs into a serious threat, the price tag attached in both assets and money is way too much for Treliving unless he can guarantee a Stanley Cup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of homework to do in the coming weeks, and there will no doubt be moves made in order to give the team a fighting chance. It's just a matter of it being too little, too late when a move is finally done.