The 2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs season has been a roller coaster of a year, and a playoff spot is slowly but surely falling out of reach.
A 9-1-3 run from late December to early January feels like eons ago, with Sunday's loss to the Avalanche increasing their current losing streak to four games.
The buds current slump, along with Atlantic Division rivals Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins all hitting their stride over the past few games, sits them five points out of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
If the Leafs can't get out of this current slump, here are three players they should consider moving on from come deadline time.
Anthony Stolarz (or one of their goalies)
The Leafs boast one of the top goaltending trios in the entire NHL, with Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby both finding themselves top-10 league-wide in SV%. On top of having Anthony Stolarz, one of the NHL's top netminders last season, Toronto has depth in net that most teams dream of.
If the season becomes lost, however, and a trade is needed, Stolarz looks like the odd man out in the crease.
Don't get me wrong, I've been a Stolarz fan ever since he came to Toronto, and at his best, he may be the best of all three Leafs netminders. But that's the tricky part, as finding playing time for three goalies isn't easy.
Despite his rough start to this season, the Leafs could leverage Stolarz' success from the past few seasons, as well as his history as a Stanley Cup winner.
There's always a market for goalies on the trade block, and Stolarz could fetch quite the return.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Ekman-Larsson has been one of the consistent bright spots on the Leafs this season, and at times, been their best player. The veteran defenseman has put up a strong 31 points in 52 games thus far, on pace for 49 in 82 games, which would be his second highest single-season total in his career.
He has two years remaining on his contract after this season, at a fair $3.5 million AAV. Trading for a 34-year-old d-man doesn't sound like a great idea in theory, but Ekman-Larsson would be a valuable piece to any Stanley Cup contender if he keeps playing like he has.
Bobby McMann
This one pains me to write, as #74 has been one of my favourite Leafs since he entered the league. But Bobby McMann could fetch a sneaky-good return if the buds decide to become sellers at the trade deadline.
McMann, 29, is on pace for 25 goals this season and 42 points, both career-highs, and is set to become a UFA at the end of this season.
It makes too much sense to trade McMann. Expiring contract? Check. Player in the middle of a career season? Check. Will his value ever be higher? I'm not too sure.
Fans would hate to see McMann leave, but he would be a perfect middle-six winger on a Cup-winning team.