During last weekend, the Hockey Central panel weighed in on the Toronto Maple Leafs and the upcoming trade deadline. Their discussion centered on whether GM Brad Treliving should be a buyer.
It’s an interesting question for the Maple Leafs. On one hand, there are good reasons never to be a buyer – at least for a high-profile trade rental – at the trade deadline. The process simply doesn’t work and hasn’t for the Maple Leafs.
Yet, team’s are lured into the believe that with just one more fix their team could go all the way. While the history of the team suggests that they’ve wasted tons of potential prospects and draft capital in the process – all for nothing, it’s tough to resist going all-in at the deadline.
The panel also discussed John Tavares and the Maple Leafs first line. What did they have to say about that issue?
The Hockey Central Panel’s Conversation about the Maple Leafs
Here’s a breakdown of the panel’s conversation.
Burning Question One: Should Treliving and the Maple Leafs be Buyers at the Trade Deadline?
The panel addressed whether the Maple Leafs, led by GM Brad Treliving, should be active buyers at the trade deadline. The discussion emphasized the importance of the team’s current situation and Treliving’s aggressiveness in the trade market.
The consensus was that Treliving is likely to be a buyer. However, that is contingent on the Maple Leafs’ standings and performance leading up to the trade deadline on March 8th. The panel acknowledged that Treliving’s approach will depend on the team’s position at that time.
Currently, the panel was skeptical about Treliving parting ways with a first-round draft pick unless the team shows significant improvement. The Maple Leafs would need to prove their worth to make such a move more palatable for Treliving.
Related: Three Reasons Knies Thrives Playing with Matthews and Marner
The panel speculated that the team is possibly looking for defensive reinforcements, but they expressed caution about making high-priced acquisitions unless the situation resembles the one from the previous year. The panel made a comparison between going to the corner store for a few items (making minor moves) and going to Costco for a bulk purchase (making significant additions, akin to last year’s trade deadline strategy). [In an aside, I believe that filling holes on the team with cost-effective additions is a wise choice and the only choice this team should make.]
The overarching sentiment from Hockey Central’s panel is that the Maple Leafs would have to go on a winning streak in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline for Treliving to consider major moves. Otherwise, the focus might be on tweaking the lineup around the edges.
Burning Question Two: Who’s the Best Fit on the Matthews/Marner Top Line?
The panel also discussed the question of who would be the best fit on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. In their discussion, they explored various options.
First, Elliotte Friedman suggested considering the internal option of moving John Tavares to the top line. He cited the history that Tavares has had with Marner as an early example where Mikheyev’s presence contributed positively to a play.
Friedman acknowledged the prevalent belief that Matthews needs to be protected, but experimenting with Tavares might be a worthwhile move. The panel remained open to the idea of exploring different internal options, emphasizing the need for someone who could complement Matthews and Marner effectively.
The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs
In conclusion, the Hockey Central panel discussed two questions. First, what should be the Maple Leafs’ potential actions at the trade deadline? Second, what internal options exist for optimizing the top line? Their answers leave the door open for potential surprises for Maple Leafs fans.