December 15, 2024 | 1:16pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

TORONTO LOOKING TO ADD CENTRE

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving

The Toronto Maple Leafs sit atop the Atlantic Division, tied in points with the Florida Panthers but having one game in hand, and management will try to strengthen its team’s chances this season by potentially adding to the roster in the second half.

Leafs GM Brad Treliving and his staff are believed to be in the market for a centre, a position they’ve wanted to upgrade since training camp, according to various reports.

With limited salary cap space to play with, Treliving will need to be creative if he wants to add a second-line centre by the time the trade deadline rolls around, and he is exploring his options.

With a holiday roster freeze set to kick in Dec. 20 at midnight local time (per market), running until 12:01am (local time) on Dec. 28, it’s unlikely the Leafs make a major acquisition this month. A move for a veteran at the dot is not considered imminent, but the Maple Leafs are doing their due diligence and scouring the market, compiling a list of potential targets later in the campaign.

One player the Leafs have been linked to is New York Islanders centre Brock Nelson, however the Islanders are not expected to explore moving him so long as they remain in the playoff hunt.

Nelson, 33, is in the final year of a six-year, $36 million contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He also owns a 16-team no-trade list as part of his contract.

Adding a second-line centre may prove to be a difficult task without their 2025 first-round draft pick to dangle, as that was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks in on Feb. 27, 2023. But the club does own its second-round and third-round picks in next summer’s Draft, as well as their first-rounders in subsequent years.