The NHL season is in its final push, and the Toronto Maple Leafs currently sit at the top of the Atlantic Division and are second in the Eastern Conference. Compared to last year’s Buds, this team looks considerably better and like they could make some serious noise in the postseason.
If they really want to maximize their playoff potential, however, the Leafs have two main positions they should target by the NHL trade deadline: a third-line centre and a top-four right-handed defenceman.
Centre-wise, the Leafs have a solid group on their first two lines with Auston Matthews commanding the first unit, and John Tavares leading the second. After that, though, you have Max Domi on at the third centre spot. Domi isn’t horrible by any means, but his 48.4% face-off win rate isn’t the greatest, and bringing in a quality replacement would allow Domi to slot in at left wing on the second line instead, swapping out Pontus Holmberg and adding a little extra juice to an already solid second line.
At defence, the Leafs have seen vast improvement this season. The team was in the bottom half of the league in goals allowed last season, putting up the 11th worst total league-wide, but have improved to the 11th best total this season. And while these numbers show improvement, the defence corps is stretched rather thin on the right side after Chris Tanev, the team has only the likes of Connor Timmins and Philippe Myers behind him. Clearly, there is a severe need at that spot to bolster Tanev.
The Leafs are a playoff contender as is, but if they can secure some solid additions at these two spots, they should be formidable come playoff time.
Here are three centres and three defencemen that the Leafs could target at or before the NHL trade deadline:
Centres
Ryan O’Reilly, Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are currently 16 points out from the second wild card spot in the West, and with that, they should be looking to move some significant pieces at the deadline. The Leafs could take advantage of this and bring in former Leaf Ryan O’Reilly. O’Reilly was a Leaf for just 13 games in 2022–23 (24 including playoffs) before signing with the Predators in that summer’s free agency. This season, the 34-year-old is having a middle-of-the-road year by his career standards with 14 goals and 34 points in 53 games. But his 56.6% face-off win rate would be an improvement for the Leafs, and he also has championship experience as the captain of the 2019 Cup-champion St. Louis Blues.
O’Reilly’s cap hit of $$4.5M is just under a million more than Domi, and he still has two more seasons remaining on his deal. This reunion could be beneficial for both sides, giving the Leafs the third-line centre they need and the veteran O’Reilly another shot at a Stanley Cup.
Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres
Trading for Cozens would be one of the riskier plays for the Leafs at the deadline. The 24-year-old centre hasn’t had the best totals this season and last–18 goals and 47 points in 79 games in 2023–24, and 11 goals and 27 points in 55 games this season–but during the 2022–23 season, Cozens put up a promising 31 goals and 68 points in 81 games.
If you’re trading for Cozens, it is with the hope that a change of scenery and a stronger set of teammates can help him recapture or even improve on that success from two seasons ago. His $7.1M cap hit would make him the fifth highest-paid forward on the Leafs roster, but if he excels with the Leafs, that contract runs through to the summer of 2030, providing the Leafs a potentially valuable piece at a fixed rate for the next five seasons.
Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues
The Leafs have a history of making moves for St. Louis Blues captains. They did it back in 2023 with the previously listed O’Reilly, and they could very well do it again at the deadline by trading for current Blues captain, Brayden Schenn.
Like O’Reilly, Schenn was a member of the 2019 Cup-winning Blues team. In the 2019 playoffs, the 33-year-old put up a respectable five goals and 12 points in 26 games en route to the Cup victory. And more recently, Schenn contributed eight assists in 12 games during St. Louis’ 2022 playoff run. Clearly Schenn is able to perform when the games matter most, and although his price tag is on the upper-middle end at $6.5M per year, he still has three years remaining on his deal, meaning he could help contend for a few years or be used as a trade piece in the future.
Defencemen
Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
It’s no secret that Colton Parayko is one of the top defenders in the NHL. The 31-year-old is having an impressive season with the St. Louis Blues and is on pace to beat his previous single-season point record of 35 points. And in his own zone, Parayko shines just as bright, currently boasting 128 blocked shots–the eighth-highest total in the league.
If the Blues do opt for a rebuild instead of buying at the deadline–St. Louis is currently five points back of the second wild card spot in the West–the Leafs would be smart to deal for Parayko. His cap hit of $6.5M is a steal for what he brings to the table, and his current contract also runs through the summer of 2030, meaning he can easily stick around for the Leafs’ window of contention, and at an affordable rate for his services.
Noah Dobson, New York Islanders
Similar to Cozens, Noah Dobson would be a younger option for the Leafs to go after at the deadline. While the 25-year-old D-man hasn’t had his best season (18 assists and 24 points in 46 games), he has the potential to be a solid addition to the Leafs’ defence corps, as seen through his 2023–24 season in which he put up a career-best 60 assists and 70 points in 79 games.
While Dobson has been sidelined since Jan. 20 with a lower-body injury and was placed on the long-term injured reserve on Jan.26, he is nearing a return, so the Leafs shouldn’t be overly worried about him missing time if they choose to deal for him.
The one downside to a Dobson trade comes in his contract. His cap hit of $4M isn’t too shabby, but he is currently in the final year of his contract, meaning he could potentially cause offer sheet problems as an RFA, or if he has a solid rest of the season and postseason with the Leafs, he may command a decent raise from the team.
David Savard, Montreal Canadiens
While it may pain some Leafs fans to see a member of the Habs come to town, Savard would be a worthy addition behind Tanev. The 34-year-old D-man has never put up astronomical point totals–his career best in that metric is 36–but he provides a strong veteran presence that the Leafs would love to have, especially considering Savard brings a championship pedigree as well, as a member of the 2020–21 Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning.
Like Dobson, Savard is in the final year of his current contract, but with his age, he likely wouldn’t be looking for any sort of raise on the $3.5M he currently commands. And worst case, he is essentially a gritty playoff rental for the Leafs, and grit is something he has in spades, shown by his 123 blocked shots this season–12th in the league.
One Comment