The Essential Moves Brad Treliving Must Make at the Trade Deadline for Playoff Success
The Maple Leafs and Brad Treliving have to make some pretty big moves in a very short timeframe, and according to one NHL analyst, they need to keep things simple.
With the NHL Trade Deadline only a handful of days away, the Toronto Maple Leafs are entering crunch time when it comes to making a deal. News of some serious injuries has led them to potentially need to shift gears with not much time left.
So much is at stake, and with questions surround what Brad Treliving is going to do, NHL analyst and Sportsnet Reporter Anna Dua believes the team needs to keep it simple.
With the way this team has been playing, I am gonna say the bare minimum are two things. Getting a third line center and bolstering their blueline. These are things they need to go on a deep playoff run.
It echoes the sentiments we've heard all season regarding the Maple Leafs, and with there being so many X-Factors when it comes to the lineup: How can Brad Treliving get things done?
Toronto's Bare Minimum Shouldn't Cost A Premium
Desperate times do not call for desperate measures for the Maple Leafs. There's no point selling the farm to frantically cover some spots and make a rushed deal instead of the right one.
Their third line center issues can be solved with a player like Jake Evans or Scott Laughton, and while those aren't the flashiest of names or the biggest impact players, Toronto needs role-players.
Either man will cost one or several of Toronto's draft picks (and in Laughton's case potentially a mid-tier prospect) but it keeps them clear of their top level assets.
The team can also go cheap on the defensive side as well with names like Carson Soucy, David Savard, and Luke Schenn, which will also cost about the same as the third line centers, but doesn't offer the same level of upside as a Noah Dobson or Rasmus Ristolainen.
It's hard to imagine Toronto's defense succeeding if Chris Tanev is out long-term but there are cheap pieces available that won't mortgage the farm and give the team a replacement shutdown defenseman for the time being.
Brad Treliving is never one to make really big trades at the deadline, with his largest being the trade sending Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary to Florida for a package involving Jonathan Huberdeau.
If a big deal is something that scares Toronto a little bit, then they can do themselves a favor going cheaper; something Brad Treliving has to enjoy hearing.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 26 | 652 ANSWERS The Essential Moves Brad Treliving Must Make at the Trade Deadline for Playoff Success What is the most essential move for Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs to make? | ||
| Third Line Center | 263 | 40.3 % |
| Defenseman | 308 | 47.2 % |
| Scoring Winger | 58 | 8.9 % |
| Other | 23 | 3.5 % |
| List of polls | ||