Earlier on in January, it appeared as though the Toronto Maple Leafs finally found their gear, turning in win after win ever since the Christmas break. In doing so, the Leafs propelled themselves back into a playoff spot while having all aspects of their game firing on all cylinders as a result.
But boy, so much can happen in just a couple of weeks as Toronto’s recent tumble have sent themselves spiralling downwards in the NHL standings. Im doing so, they now face another huge hill to climb to get back into the thick of things. As much as the Maple Leafs appears to be sure trade deadline buyers just a few weeks ago, there is now a high possibility that they could turn into sellers when all is said and done.
If Toronto does indeed become sellers at the deadline, there could be some surprising players that would become available as they would be looking to retool, or even semi-rebuild their roster for the future. Here, we will take a look at 3 Maple Leafs players that could be shockingly dealt at the trade deadline if they end up falling out of contention.
Morgan Rielly
As one of the main backbone pieces of the team, Morgan Rielly had been the face of the franchise for the Leafs defense for much of the past decade with the club. Having been through it all during the team’s rise to prominence that led to nine consecutive playoff appearances, Rielly sure did his part by tallying 93 goals, 450 assists for 543 points in 925 career games with the Maple Leafs. Being a popular figure both on and off the ice, Toronto fans adorned the 31-year-old star defenseman.
However, his play has gradually tailed off in recent years, with his defensive play becoming more suspect while his offensive flare has fizzled along with his puck-moving speed and ability. That would have been fine if Rielly was a bottom-pairing player, but as supposedly the team’s top-pairing defenseman, much more is expected out of the veteran on a nightly basis. As a result, the Maple Leafs may need a new leader for their blueline to correctly lead the team back in the right direction and one that could provide elite offense and defense day in and day out. Therefore, a failing 2025-26 campaign for Toronto could end up forcing one of the longest-tenured Leaf out of town.
Bobby McMann
It is certainly hard to ever given up on promising young talent entering their prime when you see it. Especially when you are talking about the case for Bobby McMann, who appears to be finally establishing his niche with the club with his clutch, gritty style of play. With 17 goals, 12 assists for 39 points along with 116 hits already in just 52 games played, McMann is on pace to set his personal bests this season while settling nicely into a top-six role when given the chance.
However, with not too many attractive, movable parts from the Leafs current lineup, McMann is the type of player that would draw serious interest from contending teams down the stretch. In particular, trade rumors have already surfaced, linking the Edmonton Oilers with the rugged forward in recent days, showing that his market is already building up. McMann might end up being the next Mason Marchment or Carter Verhaeghe, but to get quality assets for a better future, the Leafs likely need to give up some quality as well in McMann to get things done.
William Nylander
Finally, to turn around the Leafs current struggling state, they may have to thinking about potentially changing the core to get to the root of the problem. Perhaps the current core has gone stale and needs a remake to get the team and franchise back on track, a similar notion echoed recently by TSN analysts Martin Biron, Craig Button and company. So if moving out a core player, that player would likely be William Nylander.
That is because without question, this is Auston Matthews’ team to lead as of this moment, so the Leafs wouldn’t dare to move their captain unless they are ready for a full, strip-down rebuild. In addition, John Tavares just gave Toronto one of their best value contracts in recent team history this past offseason. So the last thing one would expect is the Maple Leafs asking Tavares to waive his no-trade clause right away and run him out of town, that’s just not how things work. As a result, Nylander and his $11.5 million AAV contract becomes the most attractive piece to move that would maximize the value of the assets the Maple Leafs would receive in return.
Yes, Nylander is currently the Leafs’ leading scorer and is probably the flashiest player of the main core that still remains. He also holds a full, no-movement clause in his contract as well, giving him control of his own destiny. But given how lacking his will to win was in recent weeks prior to his current injury, along with his frustrations that he recently showed even when on the sidelines, it doesn’t appear he is enjoying the game as much as he should in his current state. Consequently, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nylander would waive his clause to allow both himself and the Leafs to get what they want and enter a new chapter where both can be happy once again.