NHL insider links Maple Leafs to big-name center ahead of trade deadline

The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a familiar position as the 4 Nations Face-Off break has officially begun. They currently have 68 points in 55 games, putting them three points back of the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. Toronto is comfortably sitting in playoff positioning with less than 30 games to go.

While making the playoffs is a nice feat, the Maple Leafs have more than just making the playoffs on their mind. They've made the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons but have advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once in that span. Last season, the Leafs lost in seven hard-fought games to the Boston Bruins in the first round. They'd like to win the Stanley Cup.

If the goal is to go on a deep playoff run, the Maple Leafs would benefit by adding an upgrade or two to their roster ahead of March's trade deadline. One spot on their roster they can and should fortify is the third-line center position. With that in mind, a player like Brayden Schenn, who Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman linked to Toronto makes a lot of sense.

"While a number of teams have been reported to be in the mix for Schenn’s services — the Toronto Maple Leafs among the landing spots that would seem to make sense."

While Schenn would be a good fit in Toronto, his fit is far from perfect.

Maple Leafs pursuing Brayden Schenn would leave a lot to be desired

To be perfectly clear, Brayden Schenn is a Stanley Cup champion and is a player who'd absolutely make the Leafs better. He's a better option to be Toronto's third-line center than the likes of Pontus Holmberg and David Kampf, and can provide much-needed depth scoring, but a Schenn trade would still leave a lot to be desired for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost, his contract is far from appealing. Schenn at his $6.5 million cap hit isn't bad, but when noting that he's set to make $6.5 million annually through the 2027-28 campaign, that's when the contract becomes an albatross. Schenn is currently in his 16th season and is 33 years old. The Leafs should not want any part of paying him $6.5 million for several years.

If Schenn was not in clear decline, that contract wouldn't be unideal, but he is. He has just 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 56 games this season, and has one season of 60+ points since the 2017-18 campaign.

Second, the Blues, according to TSN's Darren Dreger, are looking for a "mammoth" return for Schenn. The Maple Leafs should be a team willing to mortgage some of their future to go all-out in pursuit of a Stanley Cup right now, but is Schenn really the player they want to do that with? Again, he's 33 years old, is in decline, and is not on the best contract.

In the right deal, a Schenn trade to Toronto can be palatable, but in no way should the Leafs consider giving St. Louis a "mammoth" offer to acquire him. If they're willing to part with several appealing assets, they should and almost certainly can do better.