The Toronto Maple Leafs have not had the season many have expected; they are last in the Atlantic Division and are not looking like a team that can make a strong run at the Stanley Cup. This leaves the question of whether the Maple Leafs should try to retool and move on from some of their current players. Max Domi, Matias Maccelli, and Brandon Carlo all make north of $3M and could be assets that help the Maple Leafs in the long run.
The Leafs do not have a strong and deep prospect pool. After Ben Danford their is little to nothing. Easton Cowan has finally made the jump from juniors to the NHL. The Leafs traded Fraser Minten for Brandon Carlo last season, which has not worked in the Leafs' favour, and the Leafs also do not have a first-round pick until 2028, so for a declining team without picks, they will have to move on from some of their current roster players to acquire picks and prospects.
Max Domi
Max Domi is a great candidate to move on from. The Toronto native has struggled this season, and quite frankly, never lived up to his hype. He currently slots on the first line with Auston Matthews and Bobby McMann, but is not a true number one winger. In 36 games for the Leafs this season, Domi has tallied four goals and 13 assists while being a -13. He has been a healthy scratch at times this season and hasn't looked like himself. Domi has not produced offence and hasn't created opportunities the Leafs need, especially while playing top-line minutes. Domi also carries a cap hit of $3.75M for the next two seasons; his cap hit ranks fifth on the Leafs for forwards. Moving on from Domi would clear up a chunk of money as well as get you a late-round pick and a B prospect.
Matias Maccelli
Since being acquired from the Utah Mammoth in the summer, Maccelli has never really gotten his chance with the Maple Leafs. Maccelli was acquired to fill a spot in the top-six and be a player who can create offence, especially next to Auston Matthews, who has been without Mitch Marner since his departure to the Vegas Golden Knights. Maccelli did not have a strong start with the Leafs and then became a healthy scratch for nine straight games. Since coming back into the lineup, he has been strong, building chemistry with John Tavares and William Nylander. In 27 games for the Leafs, he has produced five goals and eight assists while being a -4. Maccelli has lots of upside to be an effective offensive weapon, but hasn't shown it in Toronto. The idea from Brad Treliving was there, but the results were slim to none. By moving on from him, the Maple Leafs would clear up some cap space as he makes $3.45M on an expiring deal and will get something in return for Maccellii before the Leafs likely move on from the Finnish forward this offseason. In return, we could see the Maple Leafs get a mid-round pick and a C prospect.
Brandon Carlo
Brandon Carlo has been one of the biggest disappointments in recent Leafs history. Carlo was acquired during last season's Trade Deadline in exchange for Fraser Minten, a 2026 first-round pick (top five protected), and a 2024 fourth-round pick. Fraser Minten has turned out to be a great two-center for the Bruins, and with the Maple Leafs in jeopardy of missing the playoffs, the Bruins could add another top prospect to their system. Carlo was expected to be a really good shutdown defenceman alongside Morgan Rielly, but it never turned out the way the Maple Leafs wanted. Carlo has missed a great deal of time this season due to a lower-body injury that resulted in him undergoing foot surgery. It will be a test to see if Carlo can turn back into the player he once was with the Bruins. If the Maple Leafs decide it's time to move on from Carlo, we could see a team sending a 1st round-pick to the Maple Leafs.
Moving towards the future
It is time for the Maple Leafs to retool their roster before the Matthews and Nylander era goes to waste. All of these players were calculated moves that never turned out the way the Leafs wanted them to. Max Domi has had good stints with the Leafs, but it has come far too inconsistently. It will be interesting to see what the Maple Leafs do ahead of this year's Trade Deadline based on where they currently sit in the Atlantic Division.