Brad Treliving's Top Trade Target Confirmed by NHL Insider
The top trade target of the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was confirmed by an NHL insider.
Amid yet another successful regular season, the Leafs find themselves in a position to make the playoffs. With that in mind, there's very little doubt that Brad Treliving will be looking to add some talent to the team's roster.
It's safe to say that if they want to have that same success in the playoffs, changes will need to be made, especially at the center position in the bottom lines.
With prospect Fraser Minten currently holding the 3C spot, many believe Treliving is poised to make something happen in that position.
There's no denying that Minten will have a bright future in the NHL, but sending him on the ice during the playoffs would be a risky move, and it likely won't happen unless injuries strike the team.
The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported that Treliving is looking for a third center and is eyeing New York Islanders' veteran Brock Nelson for the job:
Listen to the following video to hear it in his own words:
This isn't Brock Nelson's first time to be linked to the Maple Leafs this season. Considering his talent and experience, he'd made a wonderful addition to the Leafs lineup.
The 33-year-old veteran, drafted 30th overall by the Islanders in 2010, tallies 19 points, including 10 goals, in 31 games this season. In his career, he scored 285 goals and 265 assists in 871 games with New York.
With the NHL Holidays roster freeze set to begin on Wednesday, a move could be announced sooner rather than later. However, don't be surprised if nothing happens by then and Treliving waits until the March 7th deadline before making moves.
This season is the last of Nelson's six-year, $36,000,000 contract with the Islanders, and with the team's struggles, General Manager Lou Lamoriello will likely consider all his options before March.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Lian Bichsel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jesper Boqvist | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Roope Hintz | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Hyman | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Strome | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Matthew Tkachuk | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jamie Benn | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Evan Bouchard | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jakob Chychrun | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Connor McDavid | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Taylor Raddysh | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sam Reinhart | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Carter Verhaeghe | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Oskar Back | - | - | - | |
| Uvis Balinskis | - | - | - | |
| Sam Bennett | - | - | - | |
| Colin Blackwell | - | - | - | |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | - | - | - | |
| Mavrik Bourque | - | - | - | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 32 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 45 | |
Capitals | 29 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 44 | |
Wild | 31 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 44 | |
Golden Knights | 31 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 43 | |
Devils | 33 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 43 | |
Maple Leafs | 31 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 40 | |
Hurricanes | 30 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 39 | |
Kings | 30 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 39 | |
Oilers | 30 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 38 | |
Panthers | 31 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 38 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||