The Toronto Maple Leafs went quietly into the Olympic roster freeze. That shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. Had the Leafs completely bombed their last three games, the motivation would have been there to blow things up.
However, the Maple Leafs pulled out three wins, including a solid victory over the Edmonton Oilers. That situation likely slammed the brakes on a sell-off. Heading into Thursday night’s action, the Leafs are six points out of the second wild card spot.
That’s not exactly close, but close enough to warrant giving this team another shot. Does that mean the Leafs will be buyers at the deadline? Or does that mean Toronto will still be selling?
Actually, the answer to those questions is both. The Maple Leafs will likely run into a “hybrid” trade deadline.
By “hybrid,” we’re talking about a situation in which the Leafs will both buy and sell. That means that the Leafs will be looking to sell off pieces that can yield other pieces to support the club right now.
For instance, one name that’s starting to pick up among Maple Leafs rumors is Oliver Ekman-Larsson. So, let’s assume the Leafs cash in on Ekman-Larsson while netting a middle-six forward to support the offense.
Another example could be flipping someone like Bobby McMann to a club with defensemen to spare, landing a potential replacement for Ekman-Larsson. Those deals would make sense, of course, if there were a way that Brad Treliving could bring in additional assets in the form of draft picks or prospects.
Otherwise, it might just be best for the Maple Leafs to hold on to the pieces they already have and hope that’s enough heading into the season’s stretch run.
It’s worth pointing out that a hybrid deadline makes sense if the Maple Leafs can bring in younger pieces, boosting the club this season and beyond. Additionally, the Leafs would do well to clear out one-dimensional players by bringing in more versatile pieces. That could mean that bottom-six guys like Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz could turn into forwards with a little more offensive upside.
Also, a forward like Nick Robertson, who doesn’t offer much of a defensive side, might be better off turning to a two-way forward who could play in various situations.
That’s a very fine needle to thread. But Treliving and the Maple Leafs have three weeks to work that out. Instead of hitting the beach and working on his tan, the Leafs’ GM would do well to lay the groundwork for a profitable trade deadline.