Maple Leafs eyeing another top free-agent center

In his most recent "32 Thoughts" column, Elliotte Friedman indicated that Toronto general manager Brad Treliving would shop for center depth during the summer.

"John Prokop is a nice bet for Toronto," said Friedman. "The Maple Leafs just traded two first-rounders and two prospects for Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton. You need to fill your prospect pool. They aren't done with free-agent shopping, trying for a centre."

Several players, including Yanni Gourde, Mikael Granlund, Alex Iafallo, Brock Nelson and Ryan Donato, will hit the open market on July 1 and could potentially attract Treliving's interest.

The Leafs will also need to decide on the future of center John Tavares, who is in the last year of the seven-year deal he signed in the summer of 2018.

Several of the players mentioned above aren't likely to command financially crippling salaries in their subsequent contracts and could be enticed to join a Leafs team that has championship aspirations.

Gourde was recently sent back to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, from the Seattle Kraken. Meanwhile, Granlund was recently sent from the lowly San Jose Sharks to the contending Dallas Stars.

Iafallo is with the Winnipeg Jets, while Brock Nelson was recently traded from the New York Islanders to the Colorado Avalanche.

While Donato was included in multiple trade rumors while playing for the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, they ultimately decided to keep him.

The Maple Leafs have had a good season, boasting a 41-24-3 record. They currently sit second in the Atlantic Division, trailing only the Florida Panthers.