Maple Leafs Face Crossroads After Slump Amid Dwindling Playoff Hopes

TORONTO (Azat TV) – The Toronto Maple Leafs are navigating a severe downturn, having lost four consecutive games and six of their last seven, putting their 2025-26 NHL playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. This alarming slump, punctuated by a recent 4-1 home loss to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, has forced General Manager Brad Treliving to confront difficult strategic choices ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, as the team risks missing the postseason for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

The Current Crisis: Playoff Hopes Dwindle

With 52 games already played, the Maple Leafs’ recent performance has seen them slip further in the Eastern Conference standings. As reported by Yahoo Sports, the team currently holds 57 points in 50 games, trailing the Boston Bruins (60 points in 51 games) by three points for the second wild-card spot, and the Buffalo Sabres (61 points in 50 games) by four points for the first wild-card position. The urgency is palpable, with players openly expressing frustration over the team’s struggles.

Following the loss to the Avalanche, forward Matthew Knies attributed the team’s slide to ‘pent-up frustration’ and ‘too many Grade As’ opportunities given to opponents early in games. ‘We’re down 2-0, I think it was six, seven minutes in,’ Knies told The Athletic, highlighting the difficulty of overcoming such deficits against top teams. He also suggested a degree of complacency had set in, stating, ‘I think we got a little bit comfortable, obviously won a few games. I think we just gotta keep up with that willingness [to defend and understand] that we still aren’t in the playoffs and that we have to get there.’

Head coach Craig Berube echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need to ‘fix the execution part’ and improve the team’s ‘battle level when you get down in a game.’ Berube stressed the importance of the team coming together to fight through adversity, a sentiment that underscores the depth of the current challenge.

Trade Deadline Crossroads: Buy, Sell, or Stand Pat?

General Manager Brad Treliving faces a complex decision matrix for the upcoming trade deadline. Historically, the Maple Leafs have been buyers, but their current asset pool makes this path difficult. The team’s best pick in the next two drafts is a 2027 second-rounder, and parting with promising prospects like Easton Cowan or Ben Danford would be a significant gamble for potentially limited returns, according to The Athletic.

Conversely, there is growing market momentum for the Leafs to become sellers. This could involve dealing pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) such as Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, Calle Järnkrok, and Troy Stecher. McMann, on pace for 25 goals, and Laughton, valued as a depth forward, would likely draw interest. A deeper sell-off could even include players with contract term remaining, like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, or restricted free agents (RFAs) Nick Robertson and Matias Maccelli. However, a minor sell-off of UFAs might only yield ‘so-so draft picks,’ raising questions about the ultimate benefit for either immediate reloading or future team iterations. Key players such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies are considered largely off-limits, though The Athletic notes that ‘nothing can be truly certain’ given the team’s disappointment.

The third option is to stand pat, trusting the current roster to stage a comeback. The Maple Leafs do hold a top-10 record in the league since December 23, suggesting underlying potential. Not giving up on one of Auston Matthews’ remaining contract years or William Nylander’s prime years is a significant consideration. Furthermore, the Eastern Conference’s perceived weakness means that even if the Leafs barely make the playoffs, they could still have a ‘decent chance’ against most teams in the first round, with the exception of the Tampa Bay Lightning, The Athletic reported.

Internal Scrutiny: Player and Coach Perspectives

The team’s struggles have prompted significant internal scrutiny. The defensive pairing of Jake McCabe and 34-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been particularly ineffective, especially against top offensive lines. In a recent game against the Avalanche, shot attempts were 10-1 for Colorado in just four minutes when they were on the ice together, leading to a coaching staff decision to break up the pairing. Ekman-Larsson’s difficulty defending elite talents like Nathan MacKinnon on his off-side has been a recurring issue, with the pairing posting a dismal 29.7 percent expected goals in their last nine games.

Offensively, finding a consistent linemate for Auston Matthews remains a challenge. While Max Domi has solidified one wing, the other side has seen a rotation of McMann and Knies without consistent success. Neither combination has been ‘especially effective,’ with the McMann-Matthews-Domi line outscored 13-11 this season, and the Knies-Matthews-Domi line winning just 44 percent of expected goals while being outscored 5-4. This highlights the ongoing need for a more legitimate top-six winger.

Injury management is also a concern, with William Nylander missing his fifth consecutive game due to a reinjured groin. His potential return before the Olympic break, and subsequent travel to represent Sweden, adds another layer of caution. In goal, Anthony Stolarz’s return from a lengthy absence presents a dilemma; while he needs game action, the team’s desperate need for points means Joseph Woll is expected to carry the bulk of the workload, likely starting three or four of the five remaining games before the Olympic break.

The Maple Leafs’ current predicament underscores the delicate balance between short-term playoff aspirations and long-term roster sustainability. General Manager Brad Treliving’s decision at the trade deadline will not only define the remainder of this season but could also significantly impact the trajectory of the franchise for years to come, particularly given the core players’ contract situations and the team’s consistent underperformance in the postseason.