Should The Maple Leafs Still Be Sellers At Trade Deadline After Three Straight Wins Before Olympic Break?

The Toronto Maple Leafs always make things interesting.

It looked like a trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs was unlikely for the Maple Leafs as they entered their four-game West Coast road trip last week. They had just lost five straight at home and were eight points out of a playoff spot.

It got worse when they lost to the Seattle Kraken last Thursday; Toronto then was 10 points out of the final wild-card spot. That’s when reports surfaced that the Maple Leafs might lean towards being sellers as they approach the March 6 trade deadline, which makes a lot of sense.

Toronto was free-falling in the standings, losing game after game. It felt like their season was slowly — and surely — in jeopardy, and that their consecutive playoff streak (the longest in the NHL) was coming to an end.

However, after wins against the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers, Toronto is sitting in a different position. They’re now six points out of the final wild-card spot, currently held by the Boston Bruins.

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Maple Leafs Finally Get Some Power Play Opportunities And Make Good On A 5-on-3 To Down Oilers After enduring a long drought without a man-advantage, the Maple Leafs capitalized on a 5-on-3 opportunity to secure their third consecutive win and keep their playoff hopes alive heading into the Olympic break.

“We talked about coming out of the break, we’ve got to be prepared and ready to go because we’ve got, obviously, some catching up to do here,” said head coach Craig Berube on Tuesday night after their win in Edmonton.

“But three wins going on the break is a good boost for our team, and I’m proud of our team, the way they competed on this road trip.”

All of this begs the question: Where do the Maple Leafs go from here?

I think we could all agree that the Maple Leafs have gotten beaten up on the trade front in recent years.

The Fraser Minten-Brandon Carlo deal with the Bruins is one example of that (though Carlo’s game is on an upward trajectory as of late). I think you could say the same with paying the Philadelphia Flyers a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin for Scott Laughton.

Now, Laughton and Carlo are important to the Maple Leafs’ makeup, but many believe it was an overpay for those two in particular. I would agree, to a degree (we’ll save that for another day).

Toronto, though, could recoup some of those lost assets ahead of this year’s deadline if they decide their season is over.

‘We’re In A Different Position Than The Past’: Is GM Brad Treliving Ready For Maple Leafs To Be Sellers At Trade Deadline? The Maple Leafs fell 5-2 to the Kraken on Thursday night, falling further down the standings.

They’ve got a few trade chips in unrestricted free agents, like Bobby McMann, whose 19 goals are one off matching a career-high set last season. Laughton is also a UFA at the end of this season.

Those two in particular (McMann, especially) could bring back a decent return.

McMann’s a strong, powerful skater who can score and is cheap at a cap hit of $1.35 million. Laughton is a faceoff magician and an incredible teammate. If they’re calling it quits on the season, the Maple Leafs need to capitalize on an investment.

Carlo and Simon Benoit have also surfaced as players that Toronto could move to regain some draft capital.

A retool for the Maple Leafs would be approved by most if they remain outside of a playoff spot.

But in their current position in the standings, could they wait a little longer after the Olympic break to decide on the season? They must have several alternative options if things go south, or north.

But apparently not.

TSN’s Chris Johnston reported on Wednesday that the Maple Leafs’ stance on the trade front hasn’t changed, despite inching closer to the second wild-card spot in the East.

“From the Brad Treliving side of things, the Leafs’ front office, they’ve started garnering and engaging in what their players are worth on the market,” Johnston reported.

“I don’t expect a three-game winning streak, and even perhaps if it extends beyond the break, where the Leafs win a couple games out of the break, I don’t believe that’s going to alter what this front office wants to do…

“I think the Leafs are going to get a good sense over the break, in terms of what the value is for (their players) is on the market, monitor those decisions. And as we get closer to March 6, I do still think you’re going to see the Leafs sell, to some degree.”

If you’re a Maple Leafs fan, this could likely be what you want.

And I don’t blame anyone for wanting Toronto to try to remain in the playoff picture.

This season, more than ever, feels wide open. Aside from the Colorado Avalanche, there are no real sure bets to win the Stanley Cup. Don’t get me wrong, there are some strong teams, like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars.

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However, I believe that, when all the chips are down, Toronto still has dangerous enough players to hang with those teams. The same goes for them against the Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings, all of whom sit higher than the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

The playoffs are a different animal, though.

Keep in mind, Toronto’s season has featured some pretty big highs and lows, which is why I’d say if you still have belief, you’re not entirely wrong for it.

They lost Anthony Stolarz for a few months, but Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby held down the fort. The same occurred on defense with Carlo during the months he was out. They’re also currently without Dakota Joshua (lacerated kidney) and Chris Tanev (groin) — both important players in the grand scheme.

‘The Slant Is Incorrect’ Brad Treliving Pushed Back On Criticism That The Maple Leafs Have Scaled Back How It Deals With Injuries Treliving pushed back against an article in The Athletic questioning the elimination of a position within the sports sciences department.

Auston Matthews is back to being himself. William Nylander is flying. And if their win against Edmonton taught us anything, it’s that when the Maple Leafs play like a team, they’re still a robust hockey club.

It’s still okay have hope in them; it’s what being a fan is all about.

Remember, too, that the Olympic break could do some damage to teams, whether it’s injuries or decelerating a club’s hot streak. There are definitely a couple of teams in each conference that are riding the high of a strong season.

“I don’t know about it,” said Berube on whether the almost three-week break could throw some teams into a rut.

“I mean, listen, the Olympics are going to have a lot to say about that, in my opinion. Coming out of the Olympics, you never know what happens, injuries and all that sort of thing.

“But we can’t worry about that. We’ve got to make sure we’re prepared and we get the work in when we get back to work and get ready to go again. Right out of the break, we’ve got two tough opponents in Florida.”

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