Report: Leafs have interest in former postseason MVP

It goes without saying that this is going to be a make or break season for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their management team of president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Kyle Dubas. Of course, the team is firing on all cylinders right now, and Dubas' gamble of overhauling his goaltending duo is working out very well right now. But then again, at this time last season, ex-Leafs goalie Jack Campbell was in discussions for the Vezina Trophy. 

If the team suffers another humiliating postseason exit, it would almost certainly spell curtains on the Dubas era in Toronto. He's essentially working for his professional life with the team right now, and to that end, there are reports that he could have his eyes on a former Stanley Cup postseason Most Valuable Player. 

According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, he believes that the Leafs are interested in acquiring St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly, who is poised to become an unrestricted free agent after this season comes to a close. 

LeBrun writes: 

"Not that I think anything is imminent — we’re only in December — but my sense this week after talking to a few NHL teams is that they expect the Blues to listen on their pending-UFA captain in the new year. The Blues continue to play inconsistent hockey, and it’s not giving anyone confidence that the season will get back on track. I think the Maple Leafs have talked about O’Reilly internally. Whether that leads to showing interest with the Blues in the new year, we shall see. Like with Horvat, the Avalanche would make sense. I mean, any contender should have interest in the 2019 NHL playoff MVP."

In 967 career NHL games, O'Reilly has tallied 249 goals with 438 assists. And while his statistical output hasn't been anything special this season, his leadership qualities alone and championship experience certainly would be a major asset for the Leafs.