The Toronto Maple Leafs are edging toward a trade deadline they never expected — one that could see them as serious sellers and force the organization to redefine what “untouchable” actually means.
When a team is on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in, the trade deadline takes on special significance. Traditionally, the game plan has been to flip pending unrestricted free agents or recoup draft picks. For Toronto, it might mean something else. If the Maple Leafs commit to selling, the ripple effects could reach deeper into the roster than many fans are prepared for.
This particular trade deadline could see the untouchables list shrink significantly and be a franchise-changer.
Selling Is Easy. Choosing How Far To Go Is Not.
There will be several articles about the Maple Leafs becoming sellers over the next few days and weeks. Scribes and analysts will dissect who might be available, what trades seem realistic, and start listing the obvious sell candidates. Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, Calle Järnkrok, and Troy Stecher all make sense as deadline chips.
But selling those players doesn’t fundamentally change the Leafs’ direction. At best, those moves are window dressing. It’s housekeeping. It’s moving deck chairs on the Titanic, not fixing the structural issues that have left Toronto on the playoff bubble.
If the Leafs want real change, the sell-off likely has to go further.
The Untouchables List Is Shrinking
For years, Toronto has operated with a mostly untouchable core. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and a select few others sat safely above trade discussions. It wasn’t until Mitch Marner was moved this past summer that the organization opened the door to real change. The result of that change — the Leafs being a much more inconsistent team than expected — should open the door to conversations about how everyone is also expendable.
That certainty or who might stay and who might go no longer exists.
Around the league, there is increasing belief that Toronto’s deadline approach could extend well beyond expiring contracts. Players with term like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Carlo, and Simon Benoit may not be immune if the Leafs decide flexibility matters more than short-term stability. Even younger, controllable players such as Nick Robertson and Matias Maccelli could be moved if they help reshape the roster in a meaningful way.
The question isn’t whether these players have value — it’s whether holding onto them actually helps the franchise.
From there, which really big names should be up for discussion?
The “Core” Is Not Safe from Trade Consideration
While the list of names who could be potentially moved is growing, the Maple Leafs don’t have many true untouchables if this season is written off. Matthews and Nylander remain foundational pieces, but even long-held assumptions that they are too good to be traded should be challenged.
There is an argument that neither is a real leader. Nylander’s recent stunts, flipping the bird to a live television audience and wearing a muscle shirt up in the press box while watching a game, are the latest in behavior that have fans wondering how bought in he really is. Matthews’ inconsistent play and unwillingness to speak to the media have become a hot topic. Nagging worries about injuries and whether he’s the same player he once was often monopolize Toronto airwaves.
John Tavares is the leader the Leafs could use, but his contract, age, and role may not align with the Leafs long-term plans.
Perhaps the only true untouchable should be Matthew Knies. Then again, for the right offer…
A Pivotal Trade Deadline Is Coming
GM Brad Treliving isn’t just managing a roster and trying to make the team competitive; he’s managing risk and trying not to get fired. If he commits fully to selling, he’s well aware that he’s waving the white flag and admitting his plan didn’t work. It will mean this season is likely a lost cause, which won’t sit well with ownership, fans, and anyone whose job security is tied to short-term results. It means next season might be a write-off too.
But pushing for the playoffs with a flawed roster is the wrong move here. Barely getting in with this group and then being bounced early only delays what most people seem to now understand should be done.
The 2026 trade deadline isn’t about whether the Maple Leafs sell — it’s about how deep they are willing to go.
