Trouble down the middle for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic: Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube doesn’t seem to want to use John Tavares as their second-line center and Max Domi hasn’t really worked out either.
The Maple Leafs were interested in adding a center this past offseason, including Chandler Stephenson and Elias Lindholm, but the prices were too high. The Seattle Kraken signed Stephenson for seven years at $6.25 million, $7.75 million per for Lindholm in Boston. The Leafs spent their money on the blue line instead.
Will Berube give William Nylander another shot at center?
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It seems like a stretch that Fraser Minten, when fully healthy, would be ready for a second-line center role.
A lot of teams could use a center, not many centers are available and the Maple Leafs don’t have a lot of trade assets.
The Montreal Canadiens have some trade candidates, but …
Marc Dumont of Montreal Hockey Now: The Montreal Canadiens do have some salary cap space to work with. They won’t risk the long-term for short-term gains, which is good. They might be willing to move some younger players but may eye young players in return.
Defenseman David Savard could be moved and he has some trade value. He’s a veteran right-handed defenseman and is a pending UFA. The Canadiens blue line is young, so they may not want to move him just yet. They’d likely get a mid-round pick for Savard, but do they really need more of those?
Defenseman Arber Xhekaj would get lots of interest but moving him may make the team worse. There would also be a lot of teams hesitant to acquire him and give him a roster spot.
NHL Rumors: Montreal Canadiens Just Exploring Options for Future Trades
Forwards Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak won’t net much trade return, and it may cost the Canadiens to get someone to take them.
Forward Brendan Gallagher shouldn’t be overlooked but trading him may not net you a better asset. He might land you more financial flexibility.
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