]Auston Matthews, despite recently returning to the lineup, has been dealing with a nagging mystery injury that he has admitted might not go away this season. On top of that, the Toronto Maple Leafs still lack secondary scoring, and while they have (on paper) more talent in the bottom six this season than in previous ones, it’s still an issue. With that in mind, Toronto should consider acquiring a bottom-six, play-driving centre who can activate the team’s scoring depth. I have already looked into potential Western Conference fits, but here’s a look at some options from the Metropolitan Division.
Noah Cates
Noah Cates has established himself as a middle-six option for the Philadephia Flyers over the past few seasons. His best season came in 2022-23 when he scored 13 goals and 38 points while averaging over 17 minutes a night. He’s dipped back down to his more usual 13-14 minute average, but he’s producing at just under a half-point per game. He is a strong two-way player who is a plus at both even strength and on the power play. He doesn’t take many penalties and is still just 25 years old.
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Cates sits third on the Flyers in expected goals above replacement (xGAR) among forwards, trailing only star winger Travis Konecny and breakout 22-year-old Tyson Foerster. He is first among Flyers forwards in GAR with a 50.99% expected goals share (xGF%), 50.31% shot attempt share (CF%), and 53.25% high-danger chance share (HDCF%) – by just about all advanced statistics, Cates lies above the mean. He’s blossomed into a terrific player.
The part that makes this acquisition particularly difficult isn’t his salary – the Maple Leafs can fit his $2.625 million cap hit if Philadelphia retains 50% – but Cates is still a young player that the franchise may value higher than what the Maple Leafs are willing to pay for him.
Flyers GM Daniel Briere could easily ask for a first-round pick or highly-touted prospect in return. Cates is worth this seemingly steep price, considering that he would be under team control as a restricted free agent after this season. For several years of a high-quality depth centre, a first-rounder in 2026, a relatively highly-regarded prospect like Fraser Minten, or a B-level prospect like Topi Niemela in conjunction with a mid-round selection isn’t unfair.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
The New York Islanders are reportedly standing pat, as GM Lou Lamiorello still believes they’re in the playoff hunt. Their 16-18-7 record says otherwise, sitting second-to-last in the Metropolitan Divison while boasting the league’s worst power play (10.9%) and penalty kill (64.4%). They will almost certainly find themselves as sellers by the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7. One player who could be on his way out is Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is in the second-to-last season of a six-year, $30-million contract — an annual value of $5 million.
Pageau has been a semi-productive member of the Islanders’ otherwise struggling top six, with nine goals and 21 points this season. He’s also averaging 1.7 points per 60 minutes, which would be a career-high. He is elite in the faceoff circle, winning more than 58% of draws this season and no fewer than 55% in each of the last six campaigns.
He sits third on the team behind Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee in xGF% among forwards, with the Islanders controlling 54.98% of the expected goals with Pageau on the ice. He sports the fourth-best expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) among that same group, as well as the second-highest CF% (54.44%) and fourth-highest HDCF% (53.69%). By all accounts, he’s been one of their best and most important players.
Pageau would admittedly be a tougher player to fit under the salary cap, so it’s likely that a third team would need to be involved to retain an additional 25%. As is the standard, a fifth-round selection would be par for the course, and for the Islanders, I would imagine they would expect a second-round pick and a young NHL-ready talent, like Connor Timmins or Pontus Holmberg. Pageau eats up minutes in all situations and has been one of the more significant players on the team, so they should get some assets in return.
Morgan Frost
The Flyers find their way onto this list again with another 25-year-old pending restricted free agent. Morgan Frost, who has spent time on every line this season, most recently centred budding superstar Matvei Michkov. Frost has eight goals and 19 points in 38 games while averaging 14:47 of ice time.
Frost sports an xGF% of 52.56% while boasting the third-best expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60), making him one of the Flyers’ best defensive forwards. At the same time, he has shown flashes of elite hands and offensive abilities, including this goal against the Boston Bruins last season. He is highly regarded within the organization, but Flyers head coach John Tortorella is notoriously hard on youngsters, which means Frost hasn’t earned as many minutes as he should be getting, considering his ceiling.
Despite Tortorella’s outlook and presumed leash on Frost, the Flyers could want a decent haul for the young centre. As I mentioned, he has been one of their best players and has shown time and again that he can impress with more opportunities. I assume that the return package would be similar to Cates — a first-rounder or similar value.
Flyers Chock-Full of Depth Centre Targets
If Frost and/or Cates are not of interest to the front office, they have other options. Ryan Poehling and Scott Laughton are possible centre options. Both Flyers are desirable bottom-six calibre centres on a contending team, though Laughton is likely more expensive to acquire by proxy of his veteran status and leadership skills. Still, in terms of what the Metropolitan Division has to offer, Philadelphia is the one-stop-shop for what the Maple Leafs need this season.
