NHL Rumors: Insider Frank Seravalli urges Toronto Maple Leafs to bring back winger

It's one of the most exciting times of the year for hockey fans as the National Hockey League Trading Deadline arrives this week - specifically Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM EST. All trades must be fully submitted to the NHL with not a moment to spare before that deadline in order for them to be considered valid by the League.

The New York Rangers have left forward Reilly Smith out of their lineup for the last handful of games, leading to speculation he could be next on the chopping block for general manager Chris Drury.

NHL analyst Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff believes that the Toronto Maple Leafs should come calling before Friday afternoon's deadline - but only if they first acquire another center.

''New York held out Smith for trade-related protection over the weekend, their trade of Ryan Lindgren to Colorado indicating that they're not willing to pass up assets for their UFAs in this off-the-rails season. Smith is a proven playoff performer - a 2023 Stanley Cup winner and critical cog in two trips to the Final with Vegas.

"The Penguins have already retained on Smith, but the Rangers can chop him in half one more time. It would make a lot of sense for the Maple Leafs to bring him home to Toronto and add a little Cup pedigree to their room and third line. But they have to get a center first," he was quoted as saying on Monday (via Yardbarker).

Right now, the Maple Leafs have a limited amount of cap space - less than $1 million, to be exact - in order to facilitate a move potentially not only for Smith but for any other players on their radar.

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Reilly Smith is likely to be the latest player traded by the Rangers

The New York Rangers, who endured a horrific losing stretch that saw them lose 16 of 21 games earlier this season, have already made monumental changes amidst their inconsistency.

They traded former captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, ending lengthy speculation that he would be moved despite wanting to stay localized for family reasons; they also traded disgruntled former Round One draft pick Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, where he has since thrived. And just this week, Rangers GM Chris Drury traded Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche.

Because Smith is being held out of the Rangers lineup despite being healthy, it likely means that the team is preparing to ship him out of town as well.