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The Toronto Maple Leafs are Stanley Cup contenders in 2024-25, at least on paper. This is not an unfamiliar sight for hockey fans in recent seasons. Toronto plays well during the regular season and looks like they are primed for a deep playoff run. However, they end up falling short in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, often being eliminated in the first round.
It's hard to say whether this season will be more of the same. The Maple Leafs have a different head coach than those previous teams. Craig Berube took over for Sheldon Keefe in the summer. Berube, unlike Keefe, has experience winning the Stanley Cup. He led the St. Louis Blues to their first and only championship in 2019 as their interim coach.
Some would argue that, based on talent alone, this team should have won a Stanley Cup by now. They have four of the best forwards in the game on the roster. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares have led this team for nearly a decade now. And yet, they have just one playoff series win to show for it.
The Maple Leafs are highly unlikely to trade any of their core players. If they do, Marner would be the top trade candidate as he will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. However, it does not appear at this time that they are going to go down the route the Colorado Avalanche did with Mikko Rantanen.
If it isn't trading a star player, then adding to the roster makes a lot of sense. And Toronto has a rather glaring flaw in need of fixing sooner rather than later. And there are multiple ways the Maple Leafs can go about addressing this flaw at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Maple Leafs need a third-line center
The Maple Leafs have a very skilled top-six forward group. Beyond their “Core Four” forwards, they also have the likes of Matthew Knies who has shown the ability to play major minutes. In saying this, the third-line center stands out as a glaring roster flaw for Toronto.
As of now, that third-line center is Max Domi. Domi had a fine debut campaign in Toronto during the 2023-24 campaign. However, things have not gone to plan for the veteran forward this season. At this time, Domi has just three goals in 44 games to go along with 19 points.
Domi currently centers a line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson on his wings. Robertson is a Maple Leafs trade candidate and could be on his way out of town before the buzzer sounds on March 7th. McMann, meanwhile, is having a career season with 15 goals through 44 games.
A playmaking center alongside McMann could open up more scoring chances for him. Moreover, it could allow Domi to move to the wing himself. Perhaps a position change could help Domi reignite his offensive game in 2024-25.
There are certainly a few different names the Maple Leafs can pursue, as well. If they want a player higher up the lineup, New York Islanders center Brock Nelson certainly fits Toronto's lineup. It would cost a bit, and it does not appear as if the Islanders want to trade Nelson at this time. But he would be a significant upgrade.
If the Maple Leafs are simply looking to plug someone on the third line, Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde is a fantastic fit for Toronto. He has extensive experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In fact, he won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. He could certainly stabilize the team's third line down the stretch.
Who the Maple Leafs target certainly remains to be seen. In any event, the team needs to find a new third-line anchor before the buzzer sounds on March 7th. If they don't, it could bite them come time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
