Sportsnet: Frank Seravalli on if the Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to add some center depth ahead of the NHL trade deadline
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Bourne: “The Leafs, kind of struggling down the middle, but they’re not sure about (Auston) Matthews. I don’t know if you have anything on Matthews, or what’s going on there. If so, yeah, okay, probably not. No one seems to.
But how urgently do you think they would do something, make a trade, try to add someone down the middle? Even with Matthews, it feels like it’s something they’re going to do eventually.”
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Seravalli: “It does certainly feel like that’s something that’s on Brad Treliving’s wish list, or right at the very top of it. And I know that he’s always making calls and is active trying to understand the market. I don’t get a sense that there’s a ton of urgency at this exact moment in time, mostly because the Leafs haven’t really needed there to be.
They’ve played well enough and kept their head above water, and even when they hit a bit of a rough patch, they find a way to dig themselves out of it. And that part, I think, has been a really comforting factor of this Leafs season, that they are a good team. They’ve played like a good team for the vast stretch of it, and when there’s a clunker or two, they find a way to respond.
So that’s certainly, you know, as we get closer to and it’s very shortly in 2025 going to be trade trade deadline season. We’re not there yet, but this is a team that will certainly look to, to improve at that position. Then also addressing the third line as well, and potentially both at the same time that, you know, no doubt that’s going to be at the forefront.
And then with Matthews, you know, I just think the larger question is, is this something that can be addressed in a different way? And if not, what is the proper protocol and course of action?
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Because this whole idea of sit out for a few weeks, come back and play a game, re-injure it, and then have that continue on isn’t a recipe for a success for Matthews, for the leaves for anyone for the rest of his year. What is the best play, and can it be fixed in a more meaningful way? And I don’t know what exactly that entails or means, but I think it’s the type of question that you have to be asking right now.”
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