As the NHL trade deadline approaches, many teams have determined whether they are buyers or sellers. The Toronto Maple Leafs, who sit towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference, will become sellers as they look to begin retooling their roster for next season. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in selling mode The Maple Leafs have a lot of pending unrestricted free agents, whom teams will likely inquire about. Steven Lorentz is a player in the Maple Leafs' bottom six who may be gaining some traction despite being under contract for the next two seasons at an average annual value of $1.35 million. According to JD Bunkis , Lorentz has emerged as a player who could gain some interest. This will become an interesting situation for the Maple Leafs, but one they should consider over the course of the next three days. Steven Lorentz with the Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs acquired Steven Lorentz via free agency during the 2023 offseason after he won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. Lorentz surpassed expectations in his first season with the club and has been a stable force on the Maple Leafs' fourth line during the 2025-26 campaign. The Kitchener native won't add much to the lineup offensively, however plays a critical role on the penalty kill, and has been a major contributor to their recent success on the special teams. In 53 contests, Lorentz has produced 10 points, including four goals, while posting a +2. Lorentz, if dealt, will add leadership and depth to a contending team's bottom six. The Maple Leafs will likely not be able to get greater than a mid-round pick in return, but it could clear extra cap space moving forward into the offseason. There is no telling whether the Maple Leafs have taken a look at moving Lorentz, but it should cross their minds over the next three days. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of big choices to make over the next few days, and we will see which ones come into fruition or just remain chatter until the offseason.

Toronto Maple Leafs fans will expect a lot of turnover as this roster has not worked, and fans are beginning to grow frustrated with the team's recent play. The Leafs are well outside of the playoffs and will have to find ways to retool the roster for the better. When the Leafs lost Mitch Marner this summer, Brad Treliving did not do a good job of finding building blocks around what they still had. The Maple Leafs will have to prioritize finding players to complement the players under contract and those they decide to re-sign. One player the Leafs can build around is Troy Stecher. Since being claimed off waivers in November, Stecher has played a crucial role on the Maple Leafs' blue line, instantly injecting life into their play, and providing stability in a time where the defence core was heading south. Troy Stecher's value on the trade market The British Columbia native is on an expiring contract, and for a Maple Leafs team that may be struggling next season with depth, Stecher can be the answer to many of their problems. Exploring a trade with Stecher could be one of the worst ideas moving forward. Stecher's value down the road will likely outweigh the value they would receive in return. If the Maple Leafs management staff attempts to move on from Stecher, the consensus is that they may be able to obtain only a mid to late-round draft pick. Stecher will most likely be undervalued by the market, which is not worth the deal for the Maple Leafs. Because if the Leafs want to turn this around fairly quickly and make use of seasons where they do not have their own first-round pick, so they can be more aggressive in trying to win as much as possible, having Stecher as a depth defenseman is surely better than most options out there -- especially after how his tenure in Toronto has gone so far. The Maple Leafs have several pending unrestricted free agents that they will need to work around over the next few days, but committing to Stecher could be the way the Maple Leafs need to go moving forward.

The New York Rangers are in full send mode as they sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 23-29-7 record, and have made it no secret that all chips are on the table, ahead of this season's Trade Deadline, which is set for March 6th. The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a similar track to the Rangers, as they are third last just in the Eastern Conference, just three points ahead of the New Jersey Devils. With both teams in dire need and lots of players hitting the trade block, we could see the Maple Leafs and Rangers begin to target key players on their rosters. A name that has most recently hit the trade block is Brennan Othmann. According to Frank Seravalli , he would be surprised if he wasn't moved from the Rangers before the deadline. This could be an area of interest for the Maple Leafs. Brennan Othmann's career in New York Brennan Othmann is a young forward who never found his groove with the Rangers. Othmann was a top pick in the 2021 draft, being selected 16th overall. The Ranger draft pick had a strong OHL career with the Flint Firebirds and Peterborough Petes, with his best season being his draft year, where he produced 97 points in 66 games. New York has had a difficult time producing prospects as of late, whether it be Alexis Lafreniere, Kappo Kakko, or now Brennan Othmann; none of these players have been dynamic and effective players in hockey's best league. This works well for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Luckily for the Maple Leafs is they decided to pull the trigger on Othmann, as he is only 23 years old. Othmann is a Pickering native and could gain the spark of playing for his hometown team. It is also very clear that he needs a change of scenery and a new environment to thrive in; the situation of him bouncing from the Hartford Wolf Pack and New York Rangers isn't going to do him well. He needs the opportunity to prove himself and become an established NHL player. Othmann has not had a strong season with the Rangers, with just one goal in 17 contests, but with a depleted Maple Leafs lineup, he may finally get his chance. Big decisions ahead for the Toronto Maple Leafs The trade deadline will be an interesting time for the Maple Leafs as they work on retooling for the future. Othmann could be a player worth while as the Leafs need to get younger, and it will not cost a ton to acquire the young winger.

The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be running out of answers at the worst possible time. Their loss on Saturday reinforced the current state of this team and set the reality for the Maple Leafs' management staff. Toronto dropped another crucial game Saturday night, despite falling behind in the second period and never truly recovering in a performance that reflected a team searching for its confidence. The Maple Leafs entered the night knowing the importance of every game; however, they were unable to match their opponents' urgency. The Senators dominated from the beginning. Even though the Maple Leafs took an early lead, they were never able to build on it and push the play. They managed to stay within reach on the scoreboard for parts of the game, but the overall pace and execution simply were not there. Auston Matthews and William Nylander's comments postgame “Just bad, just fairly embarrassing, to be honest with you,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said postgame. “It's just not the way. We need to have more pride in our play, no matter where we're at, no matter what the situation is. We just have to have more pride in our game, and we didn't have that tonight”. William Nylander added on to this, expressing his frustration, but despite this, nobody on the team is giving up, and their focus remains to get into the postseason. “I don't think anybody is quitting in the locker room. I mean, everybody wants to be in the playoffs,” Nylander said. “I think right now we're just disconnected, not finding our game. It's a lot of pressure to want to find that game within the game, and then I think we get more disconnected. I mean, nobody's quitting." “Everybody wants to fight for a playoff spot. It's just we've got to figure it out. We’ve had three games here. It's still not impossible, but we've got to play a lot better hockey if we want to be there.” Concerning trends for the Maple Leafs What can be seen as more concerning for the Maple Leafs is their recent trend. Since returning from the Olympic break, the Leafs have started every game slowly, while letting their opponents dictate the play. This has had the Leafs trailing behind in every game from the get-go. When they play strong teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, they are unable to survive the initial push, and use momentum from big saves to drive the play into the other zones. The Leafs become shelled and don't know how to get themselves out of the early hole. They have to wait for their opponents to make mistakes rather than forcing their opponents to make those mistakes. Toronto will have a large uphill climb as they try and get back within a playoff spot. They hold the 11th-worst record in the NHL, and have their nine-year consecutive playoff streak in jeopardy as the season winds down. Confidence, which was once a strength of this roster, now seems to be the issue. The Maple Leafs will need to be one of the hottest teams in the NHL down the stretch to qualify for the playoffs.

As the NHL trade deadline approaches, Steven Stamkos has made one thing very clear to the world of hockey: he is not looking to move on from the Nashville Predators. With trade speculation beginning to swirl ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline, Stamkos directly addressed a report from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun suggesting he could be open to waiving his full no-movement clause to join a contender. The 36-year-old forward shut that down quickly. Steven Stamkos Reacts to Trade Rumours “I haven’t talked to (GM Barry Trotz) at all about that,” Stamkos said, adding there was “zero” chance he would waive his no-movement clause. “Obviously, there’s stuff that gets reported. But what I’ll say, with this group, we want to be together. I can only control what I can control, but I love being here.” This comes at a pivotal time for the Predators as they sit with a record of 27-24-7 for 61 points, just two points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. A recent win over the Chicago Blackhawks has narrowed the lead. The Predators will likely not be willing to sell on Stamkos, due to the severity of the schedule as they finish the remainder of the season vying for a playoff spot. The Nashville Predators Long-Term Plan Questions will remain regarding the Predators’ long-term plan. Even if they are able to sneak into a final wild card spot, they will likely need to face off against either the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, or Minnesota Wild, which will lead to an early exit. When Barry Trotz signed Stamkos during the offseason of 2024, many expected the Preds to become the team to beat, but it simply hasn’t gone that way. A tough beginning to the season continued the narrative of the biggest failed offseason in recent sports history, however if they are able to make a run to the postseason, many may applaud the work of the Predators’ management staff. Stamkos, on the other hand, won’t be entertaining this rumour, reinforcing his want to play in Nashville and remain a key part of the organization, mentioning, “We want to play in meaningful hockey games, and we’re playing in meaningful hockey games right now.” The veteran winger has responded from a tough first season in Nashville as he has led the Predators in goals with 29 in 58 games. His four-year contract carries an average annual value of $8 million and will run through the 2027-28 campaign. This contract gives Nashville the stability offensively and in the locker room the team desperately needs, especially if wanting to make a deep playoff run. Stamkos Career Prior to the Nashville Predators Stamkos became the 22nd player to ever reach 600 career goals on December 31st in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Before making his way to Smashville, Stamkos spent 16 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, dating back to when he was drafted first overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. Stamkos will be a player remembered by the Tampa faithful as he led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups and won multiple Rocket Richard Trophies. As long as the Predators stay within fighting distance of the final wild card spot, it will be tough to see them moving on from their superstar, along with Stamkos waiving his no-movement clause. With the deadline approaching, Stamkos has sent a clear message around the NHL about what his future holds.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a rough two-game stretch in Florida, as their playoff hopes have dwindled to nearly zero. With this most recent slate of results confirming the direction of the Maple Leafs, Craig Berube and the rest of the staff need to begin focusing on their sole prospect, Easton Cowan. Maple Leafs need to focus on Easton Cowan's development Craig Berube opted for a veteran lineup to attempt to get the Maple Leafs closer to a playoff spot. With that experiment not working, the Leafs will need to shift their attention to Easton Cowan. Cowan's development must get reps in the NHL, and play alongside the Leafs top players. Berube was asked about Cowan's development, whether this will affect his play, mentioning, "It's decisions that I make as a coach, and I don't believe his development is getting hurt." "I think he's improved this year as the year went along, and I think he still has the swagger that's needed. He's a confident kid." Cowan hasn't been in the Maple Leafs' lineup since January 29th, against the Seattle Kraken, although it seems that he will re-enter the lineup on Saturday versus the Ottawa Senators. "He obviously needs to play. He’s a young kid, he's a good player." "But at the time, taking him out of the lineup, going back to I think his Seattle game, right? I just felt like he was just a little overwhelmed at that point, and I wanted to give him a break, and we were winning games, so I didn't change the lineup." Berube said Saturday ahead of the Senators' matchup. Toronto Maple Leafs' future decisions affecting Cowan At this stage of time, the Maple Leafs may have been playing veterans such as Calle Jarnkrok and Dakota Joshua to try and boost their trade value ahead of the March 6th trade deadline; however, it may have only gone in the wrong direction. There is no question about the Maple Leafs selling at the deadline, which will open more spots in the lineup for Cowan as the Maple Leafs wrap up the final 23 games of the regular season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs look to get a boost to their lineup, as the Maple Leafs activated Dakota Joshua from injury reserve on Wednesday. Joshua was a healthy scratch alongside Easton Cowan and Philippe Myers during Wednesday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but may look to get back into the lineup on Thursday as the Leafs face off against the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Joshua has been out of the lineup since December 28, when he suffered a lacerated kidney against the Detroit Red Wings. The Michigan began to skate on January 24, but later joined the team in practice on February 17. Craig Berube's initial thoughts on Dakota Joshua's return Berube spoke about what it means to have Joshua back with the team, and how he has been progressing, stating, “It’s great having him back out there. He’s feeling good and ready to go, so see how it goes this week.” Joshua has taken reps alongside Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton on the Leafs fourth line, where he will likely operate when returning to game action. The Maple Leafs acquired Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks in a trade during the offseason that saw a fourth-round pick going the other way. He is signed through the 2027-28 season at a $3.25M cap hit. Joshua has had an up-and-down season with the Maple Leafs, to say the least. He wasn't able to find his groove within the lineup at the beginning of the season, which saw him become a healthy scratch in November, but since then has really turned his season around. In 36 games played, he has registered six goals and four assists for 10 points, while notching a -2. The player the Toronto Maple Leafs need within their lineup His contributions go beyond the stat sheet, as he plays a crucial role in the Leafs' bottom six. Joshua is a hard-working physical forward, the type that every team needs to win, and he fits within the Craig Berube mould of hockey. With the trade rumours swirling around the Maple Leafs, it will be interesting to see if Joshua's name comes up, however this is a player the Maple Leafs would love to have on the team beyond the next two seasons. The Maple Leafs are set to match up with the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Each game will be heading towards a must-win as the Leafs remain six points out of the final wild card spot, with several teams ahead of them. Could Dakota Joshua be the spark the Maple Leafs need?

A historic Olympic run for Team USA continued off the ice this week, as Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews took part in a post-gold-medal celebration at the White House, where the team met U.S. President Donald Trump following their victory at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Auston Matthews ' initial thoughts on the invite Auston Matthews faced the media for the first time since and reflected on his experience, mentioning, "It was cool. It is special. We’re proud Americans, and after doing something like that, winning a gold medal, representing your country, we felt like it was a special honour to be invited. It is an honour. It is pretty neat to go there, see everything, and get to share the experience with everybody." Freshly coming off the Americans' historic victory over Canada. The visit to the White House was a part of the celebration that recognized the program’s win, marking the first Olympic gold medal for USA men’s hockey since the 1980s, which marked the biggest moment in American hockey history. Matthews on the craziness of the last 72 hours Matthews also touched upon winning the gold medal and how crazy the last 72 hours have been. "It’s been a pretty whirlwind 72 hours, to be honest. It was incredible. It was an incredible experience from start to finish, being able to go over there, be an Olympian, represent, and be in that atmosphere, from the village to the games to all the amazing things that happened over the last couple of weeks. I feel very grateful to have been a part of that, and to win a gold medal is truly special." The Scottsdale native returns to the Maple Leafs lineup as they gear up to faceoff against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Every game means a lot coming down the stretch, and the Leafs can't afford any of their stars to miss anytime moving forward. The Leafs are in desperate need of 17 wins out of their final 25 to give them a real shot at the postseason.

Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment president and chief executive office Keith Pelley has written letter to Maple Leaf season-ticket holders this week, addressing where the team is. "The 2025-26 season for the Maple Leafs, so far, has been a series of ups and downs, and unfortunately, with a number of key injuries that have affected the team, we are not currently in the position we had anticipated, but that is professional sports," Pelley wrote in the letter to season-ticket holders, via TSN. "This team has made the playoffs nine seasons in a row, the longest streak in the NHL and something to be proud of, but as I have said since joining the organization, our goal is to not just make the playoffs, and we will do whatever is needed for this team to make the next step." MLSE CEO Keith Pelley understands Leafs fans' frustration The Leafs have had a disappointing season to say the least. Toronto has dealt with a number of injuries to players of significance. With the Leafs moving on from Mitch Marner in the offseason, we have seen them struggle with firepower and depth scoring throughout the lineup. The Leafs have reached the postseason each of the previous nine seasons, however the furthest they have made it was the second round. "We understand this team’s strengths, as well as the areas we need to address, and we know that with the support of our fans, we will achieve this ultimate goal together. While we always strive to be as open as possible, I know that you understand, in the world of professional sports, protecting competitive advantages is paramount and limits our ability to reveal team strategy until the appropriate time," Keith Pelley added. How the Maple Leafs need to attack the future The Maple Leafs' management staff understands where they need to go moving forward, which can help decide the future of the roster. The lineup constructed even when healthy has proven time and time again that they are nowhere near a Stanley Cup contender. Based on what Pelley has said, it seems that he believes in this team, and a few minor tweaks could be the difference maker in getting them back into the postseason. The next stretch of Maple Leafs hockey will be very interesting, as the March 6 trade deadline rolls closer, the Leafs will have several decisions to make with pending free agents and certain depth players within the organization.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are expecting to have Auston Matthews in the lineup Wednesday night as they return to action against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This comes after some speculation that the Leafs captain would miss the game due to visiting the White House on Tuesday while celebrating Team USA's gold medal. Craig Berube also spoke on Matthews's arrival and his Olympic win. "He’s riding a pretty good high right now with winning," the Leafs head coach said. "We’ll evaluate that tomorrow and see where he’s at, and I’ll get a better feel when I talk to him here tonight." Berube understands the importance of having Matthews in the lineup and how desperate the Leafs are in need for two points. Team USA just came off a historic win over Canada to win the gold medal, something the USA Hockey program hasn't achieved since the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid. It is safe to say the Americans have been celebrating, as they just got back to the US on Monday. After spending the night in Miami, Florida, the Americans are heading to Washington, DC, as they accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend the State of the Union Speech on Tuesday. Auston Matthews' timeline before Wednesday As Matthews heads to Washington on Tuesday, it gives the American players a quick turnaround to get back to their teams. The NHL season is set to resume on Wednesday. The timing of Matthews’ return could not be more important. The Maple Leafs enter the final 25 games of the season tied with the Ottawa Senators for sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 27-21-9 record. Toronto currently sits six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With limited games remaining, every point matters, which means the Leafs will need their captain if they hope to climb back into postseason position, which they are getting. When Auston Matthews rejoins the team on Wednesday, Leafs fans should feel optimistic about having the Scottsdale native lead their roster down the stretch. Heading into the Olympics, the question was whether Auston Matthews was able to provide the right leadership to get the Americans over the hump. Matthews played a crucial role in the USA's run to gold, and the Leafs are hoping he can bring that same momentum to Toronto for the remainder of the season.