“They got lots of centres on that team. They got centres playing on the wing and they got centres playing at centre. They got too many centres actually!”



Mike Babcock was gushing about Tampa’s depth down the middle last month, rightly envious that Jon Cooper had so many quality options down the middle, from Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson to Brayden Point and Vladislav Namestnikov.



The Leafs coach isn’t quite as fortunate, and if there’s one realistic hole his club should and probably will seek to fill ahead of the Feb. 26 trade deadline it’s centre depth.



It’s been a long-simmering issue for Babcock and one that’s likely to bubble up again if left unaddressed, which could cause problems in the playoffs.



To wit, even before the Leafs played their first regular season game on Oct. 4, Babcock was dropping subtle hints of frustration, positing during training camp that Miro Aaltonen, a free agent signing...