The upside of surviving the first half of a season spiked with injuries at all positions is that Brad Treliving has had plenty of time to root around the cupboards and pinpoint the deficiencies in his roster depth.

During his mid-season media availability, Treliving spoke about how he would gauge the trade market to improve his club.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving met with reporters following Monday’s practice, where he indicated that the team will pursue a centre ahead of the trade deadline.

The top three players on TSN's trade bait list are all centers: J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Nelson, but these guys are out of price range and wouldn't fit cohesively on the Maple Leafs' third line.

With the Maple Leafs coming off a brutal 3-0 loss to Vancouver, it highlights a need that some new stats back up, and Brad Treliving has to do something to fix it.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will not take part in the superstars’ market for help up the middle. The team cannot afford to acquire let’s say Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks or Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers.

For several months, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been looking for a middle-six centre to acquire. Toronto’s management made comments about what they are looking for and potential options.