Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka will want to put his fingerprints on Toronto’s roster this offseason, and while he’s going to be focused on revamping the blueline, adding centre depth should also be very high on his priority list.

The Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews down the middle on the first line. With a heavy workload against top-line players, former head coach Craig Berube ran Matthews into the ground, and it affected his offensive output a ton. The new head coach has to be conscious of Matthews’ minutes, and find him the matchups he can take advantage of. One of the many reasons the Leafs need to add a legit shut-down center for their bottom six, and to take the pressure off their top-line centre having to do it all.

After Matthews, John Tavares currently resides in the two hole. It’s not out of the question that Chayka makes a splash on the trade market, which actually pushes Tavares down to the third line. While the former Leafs’ captain has continued to produce offensively, with his feet slowing down a little these last couple of seasons, Tavares would be wise to shift his focus to a more defensive style of hockey. It could prolong his career, and it could eventually become the ideal situation in Toronto.

After Matthews and Tavares, right now the Maple Leafs‘ roster is paper thin. Jacob Quillan and Bo Groulx showcased themselves last season. Both players play with a ton of energy, and throughout their combined 36-game audition last season, showcased their toolbox to the organization. They’ll very much be in the mix at training camp in September, but right now, they are just penciled in the Leafs lineup, and nothing is set in stone. We’ll have to wait and see what Chayka can cook up this summer, because going into the season with Quillan and Groulx playing regular minutes won’t be a recipe for success..

The Maple Leafs have several holes throughout their lineup, so Chayka may need to pick his spots on what he wants to address first this summer. Toronto has $22 million in cap space to work with, and if they’re able to move on from Morgan Rielly, and potentially Anthony Stolarz, Chayka could create a ton of financial flexibility.

On the free-agent market, Scott Laughton certainly stands out as a potential target. The former Maple Leaf didn’t want to be traded, he hasn’t crossed off a reunion, and he’s certainly a player that was heavily missed down the stretch of Toronto’s season. Laughton knows his role, he’s a great teammate, and leader, and even though it took him longer than expected to find his footing as a Leaf, he’s still one of the best third-line options for this team.

Boone Jenner is another option. The Columbus Blue Jackets appear to be letting Jenner hit the free-agent market July 1, after this past season where Jenner appeared in 67 games, scoring 13 times, and adding 25 assists, for 38 points. Jenner won 53% of his faceoffs last season, and also recorded 147 hits. The last two seasons he’s shifted to left wing a lot more, and that’s likely due to his footspeed, so perhaps the 32-year-old pivot may actually be a declining option.

Colton Sissons is someone Chayka likely has his eyes on at the moment, as the Vegas Golden Knights centre has been playing great throughout the Stanley Cup Final. Sissons’ ice-time has increased throughout the playoffs, and he’s contributing in all three zones, playing an in-your-face style of hockey. The 32-year-old centre will hit the open market this summer, and as a right-handed defensive-first centre, checks a lot of boxes for Chayka. Sissons is as physical as they come, he kills penalties, he’ll do whatever it takes to win, he’s great in the faceoff dot, and he could be a reasonably cheap free-agent option come July 1.

While the free-agent market is thin, this offseason is expected to be one of the more active summers on the trade market. With the salary cap going up $8.5 million, and several players asking out of their current situation, the trade market is going to be very entertaining to follow as soon as the Stanley Cup is hoisted. Chayka will certainly be involved.

The only problem right now is the fact all the centres linked to trades are top-line options and would cost a huge package to acquire. One that for the Leafs, would start with moving somebody like Matthew Knies, and nobody has time for that. Dylan Larkin wants out, but the Leafs likely don’t have the assets to get it done, assuming Larkin would even want to come north of the border.

Robert Thomas would be a great addition for the Leafs, but again, Knies or Easton Cowan and Ben Danford would be the ask, and it doesn’t appear Chayka’s going to be interested in that kind of spending. Mason McTavish in Anaheim is worth keeping an eye on, but it’s never a great sign when a young player is already falling out of favour with a franchise. Would he be worth the risk?

Some more names will start to surface leading into the NHL Draft in Buffalo in a couple of weeks, and it’s going to be fun to watch Chayka cook. He loves making trades and in his first summer in charge, there’s multiple moves coming. The Maple Leafs must address their lack of centre depth, and they need to prove to Matthews that they’re serious about winning a Stanley Cup as soon as possible.

Adding a shut-down center who can kill penalties and take the heavy workload off of Matthews’ plate defensively, is going to be what this team needs to succeed. Matthews must get back to being the superstar sniper this franchise knows he’s capable of, and ensuring he’s supported properly down the middle of the ice is a good place to start.

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