Mitch Marner's Former Teammate Has Just Become Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Target
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly exploring options to help their center depth before the trade deadline and they have an eye on strengthening their third line.
Among the names being discussed, Dave Pagnotta from The Fourth Period named Christian Dvorak of the Montreal Canadiens as a potential target.
Antoher player from a rival team linked to the Leafs
Christian Dvorak is 27-year-old, a center and he has a $4.45 million cap hit that could address Toronto's need for a defensive forward who contributes on the penalty kill and adds some offense.
While Dvorak isn't known as an offensive player since the beginning of his career, his polyvalence and reliability make him an appealing option for teams aiming for a deep playoff run.
A big factor in this potential acquisition is Christian Dvorak's history with Mitch Marner.
The two were linemates on the 2016 Memorial Cup champion London Knights with Matthew Tkachuk, and their chemistry could help the Toronto Leafs lineup.
One potential hurdle in acquiring Dvorak is his cap hit but the Canadiens have one salary retention slot available, which could help making the deal.
There's also the fact that the Montreal Canadiens direct rival from the same division.
Dave Pagnotta said that Nick Robertson could be the counterpart going the other way in this trade.
The 22-year-old winger has shown flashes of high potential and has been the subject of trade rumors as Toronto looks to make win-now moves.
The only thing is the fact that Brad Treliving might not be willing to trade Robertson within the division, but the need to solidify the lineup could outweigh concerns on this side.
If Treliving cannot land bigger names like Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders, Christian Dvorak could be a more realistic and cost-effective solution to stabilize Toronto's third line.
The coming weeks will reveal whether this intriguing option is the way to go for the Leafs.
