The Toronto Maple Leafs are back home Saturday night to host the Tampa Bay Lightning in what feels like a strange game for both teams. Not long ago, this would have looked like a heavyweight Atlantic Division matchup. Instead, both clubs have been stumbling a bit since the Olympic break.
Toronto, in particular, has had a rough run. The Maple Leafs are 0-4-2 since the break and are coming off a tough 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday night. With just 19 games left on the schedule, it will be interesting to see how the new lineup looks down the stretch.
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The Lightning aren’t exactly flying either. They’ve dropped four straight games since the break, including a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Even so, Tampa Bay still finds itself tied with the Buffalo Sabres for first place in the Atlantic Division, and they’ve got two games in hand. So while things feel a little shaky in Tampa, they’re still in a far better spot than Toronto and very much look like a playoff-bound team.
For the Maple Leafs, this game almost feels like the start of a different chapter. The trade deadline has come and gone, three familiar faces have been moved out, and the roster we’re about to see may look a little different than the one we watched earlier in the season.
Item One: Maple Leafs Sell at the Deadline and Stockpile Picks
The big story this week, of course, was the trade deadline. General manager Brad Treliving made it clear the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to pivot toward the future, and that’s exactly what happened.
Toronto moved forward Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder. McMann had put together a solid season with 19 goals and 13 assists, so the return was respectable for a player who had worked his way into a meaningful role.
The team also dealt Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 third-round pick. Laughton had eight goals and four assists in 43 games with Toronto. He brought energy and versatility to the lineup, but when you’re trying to rebuild some draft capital, these are the kinds of moves that tend to happen.
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The biggest return came when the Maple Leafs sent center Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a first-round pick and a fifth-rounder. Roy had five goals and 15 assists in 59 games this season and had carved out a dependable role down the middle. Interestingly enough, Roy originally arrived in Toronto as part of the sign-and-trade deal that sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Item Two: Cowan and Quillan Papered to the Marlies
Another interesting little administrative move involved forwards Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan, who were assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies in what’s called a paper transaction. The move is not as big as it sounds. It simply ensures both players are eligible to play in the American Hockey League Playoffs if the Marlies make a run this spring. Because of league rules, players must technically be on an AHL roster at the NHL trade deadline in order to participate in the postseason.
Cowan has spent most of the season with the big club and has shown flashes of why he was such a highly regarded prospect. The 2023 first-round pick has eight goals and 11 assists in 47 games while averaging a little over 13 minutes a night. Some fans have wondered whether he should be getting more ice time, but there’s no doubt the skill is there. His junior dominance with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) London Knights and his MVP performance at the Memorial Cup are still fresh in people’s minds.
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Quillan has taken a different route but has been equally steady. The former Quinnipiac University star signed with Toronto in 2024 and has developed nicely with the Marlies. This season, he has 12 goals and 33 points in the AHL and continues to push for more NHL opportunities.
Item Three: Did Brad Treliving Have a Fatal Flaw?
Watching Brad Treliving operate as a general manager has been interesting. Around the league, he’s known as a genuinely well-liked executive. People speak highly of him, and relationships matter a great deal in NHL front offices. By all accounts, he’s a warm, relational kind of guy.
But there’s an intriguing pattern to his decision-making. When Treliving acquires players, he sometimes seems willing to pay a little extra if he strongly believes in the fit. The Maple Leafs have occasionally given up additional picks or assets for players who looked good on paper but didn’t always deliver the speed or durability the team needed under head coach Craig Berube. Was the fatal flaw that he overvalued other organizations’ players and what they would bring to the team?
Yet when the Maple Leafs become sellers, the tone changes. At this year’s trade deadline, Treliving appeared patient and disciplined, working to squeeze solid returns out of departing players. This deadline was an example. While I have read a number of critiques of his trades, I’m not so critical. Toronto moved several pieces and brought back draft picks without appearing desperate or rushed.
Regardless of what you think of his trades, he seemed to be focused on doing the best for the team, even at the end.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The most immediate question now is what the lineup will look like. With Roy, Laughton, and McMann all gone, that’s at least three forward spots suddenly up for grabs. That opens the door for younger players and depth pieces to get real NHL minutes over the final stretch of the season.
We could see players like Cowan or Quillan step into larger roles if they’re recalled, and there’s always the possibility that other Marlies players get a look as well. When a team moves veterans at the deadline, it usually signals an opportunity for the next wave to show what it can do.
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In the short term, the Maple Leafs will look different — maybe younger, maybe faster, and certainly a bit less settled than earlier in the season. But these final games could serve an important purpose. They’ll give the coaching staff a chance to evaluate players, experiment with combinations, and start figuring out what the next version of this team might look like.
Sometimes, when expectations shift like that, a team can surprise you. The pressure changes, the lineup evolves, and suddenly a few new faces start writing the next chapter. For the Maple Leafs, that chapter may be starting right now.
