Maple Leafs Trade Rumors: Insider Lists 9 Trade Targets at Center for Toronto
Adding a second-line center (maybe even two centers) is one of the top priorities for the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason. Their lack of depth up the middle was problematic throughout the year.
In addition, there are question marks surrounding many of those who did play center during the past season, including John Tavares as a pending UFA, and David Kampf and even Max Domi as potential buyout candidates.
On the free agent market, the pickings are slim, especially after Brock Nelson re-upped with the Colorado Avalanche, and Sam Bennett is seemingly a shoo-in to return to Florida.
9 trade targets at center for Maple Leafs to consider
With that in mind, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic has put together a list of nine trade targets at center for the Leafs to consider. We'll start with the biggest and most unlikely names, and work our way down.
The Big Swings
- Mika Zibanejad, NY Rangers
- Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
- Ryan O'Reilly, Nashville Predators
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues
Zibanejad has a full no-move clause, has five years remaining at an $8.5 cap hit, and is coming off a down year. Yet, as Siegel notes, if he is somehow attainable, "the Leafs need to have a meeting or two about it because Zibanejad is probably the best player in this entire bunch."
Kadri would bring (back) the type of grit and physicality that is exactly what the Leafs need to "change the DNA" as GM Brad Treliving vowed. But, of course, there's a history here, in so many ways, that might work against it. Aside from the way it ended in Toronto his first time around, there's also the possibility that the Flames might not want to deal with their former GM (Treliving) who bolted the scene.
O'Reilly was a great fit for the Leafs down the stretch in 2023 and into the postseason, but he is a player who left Toronto that summer as a free agent, and reportedly has no desire to return.
The Blues captain, Schenn, was considered a trade target for the Leafs during the season, until St. Louis went on a terrific run and charged into a playoff spot. But the cost for the former Craig Berube favorite would be too much, especially considering he's never been much of a postseason performer (13 goals, 43 points and a minus-19 in 82 games).
200-Foot Options, Get The Job Done at Both Ends
- William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights
- Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins
Siegel notes Karlsson is "one of the better fits here" for the Leafs, and even points to his recent play on a line with William Nylander at the World Championships. His name has come up recently in trade rumors, and he had a 30-goal season as recently as 2023-24.
Zacha would be another ideal 2C for Toronto, but they might not have any trade pieces left that the Bruins would value enough to give him up. The B's already pried prospect Fraser Minten and a conditional first-round pick in 2026 from the Leafs in the Brandon Carlo trade at the deadline this year.
Defense-Only Options
Any of these three are more of the 3C variety, though Pageau and Danault might even be able to contribute some decent complementary offense, in a good year. But the best Siegel could come up with to describe Wennberg is, "Could he give the Leafs more reliable no-nonsense two-way minutes than Max Domi and Pontus Holmberg as a third-line centre? Yes."
After trading off some top-5 prospects and yet another first-round pick this past year, the asset pool for the Leafs to draw from in a trade for any of the above is pretty thin, so they'll have to keep their expectations low.
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