The Maple Leafs have been linked to numerous players as potential trade targets and NHL insider Darren Dreger thinks the team is going hard for one key piece.

Amidst rampant speculation about who they will or won’t pursue when it comes to adding pieces, the Toronto Maple Leafs are focused on winning. Brad Treliving isn’t going to rush anything, and would rather do his homework before jumping for a deal.

There are a ton of options for the Maple Leafs but their one desperate need is a true third-line center who can anchor their Top 9, help their penalty kill, and offer a playoff performer who brings impact day in and day out.

NHL insider Darren Dreger believes that Toronto is also going to focus on getting a third-line center, as during the Maple Leafs vs. Sabres game, the prominent analyst mentioned Brad Treliving was looking hard for a 3C:

«I suspect Brad Treliving will work hard to acquire a third-line center.»

Toronto Doesn’t Need To Break The Bank For A Third Line Center

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While several elite options are certainly enticing for the Maple Leafs such as Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson, and Ryan O’Reilly; they all come at a financial and asset cost too steep for Toronto at this point in time.

Without a first-round draft pick, the team is going to be hard-pressed to get an elite name without giving up a top prospect like Easton Cowan. They could ask for salary retention, but without any bigger name NHL pieces to give up, it’s hard to see a blockbuster happen.

But Toronto doesn’t have to do anything drastic to make a difference, and names like Noel Acciari, Juuso Parssinen, and Morgan Frost could be acquired at a cheaper cost.

Nick Robertson certainly is a name Toronto could move on from, and he raised his trade value by doubling his season’s point total against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

The Maple Leafs have the potential to enjoy a long successful playoff run, but it involves Brad Treliving making a deal for a consistent and defensively sound Top 9.

There’s still lots of time left, and if Treliving wants to take a gamble, he might have an ace up his sleeve still.