All the talk surrounding the Maple Leafs has centered on who the team is going to move. With the trade deadline on Friday and the Leafs being sellers, this roster can look a lot different come the weekend. Two players who have had their names brought up in trade discussions have been Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. Both are set to be free agents at the end of the season and have a lot to offer contending teams.
With all the trade discussion, you think that the Leafs would be doing everything possible to help these guys. Make sure they stay healthy over the next couple of days so they can move them. However, that has not been the case. In fact, the Leafs plan to have both Laughotn and McMann play in tonight's game against the Devils and Thursday's game against the Rangers. This is a major risk for the Leafs and could come back to bite them.
The Maple Leafs are being careless with their trade assests
As mentioned before, the biggest concern surrounding these two players is injury. If either one of these guys goes down, it would be next to impossible to move. It does not matter if it's a minor or major injury; no team is going to want to trade for damaged goods. They are not going to give up assets if they cannot guarantee they will be ready to hit the ice as soon as they arrive at their new team.
Craig Berube says the Leafs are not planning to scratch anyone for roster management reasons tonight, "but it could happen, obviously"@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 4, 2026
If even one of these two goes down, it will deplete the players the Leafs have available. Outside of these two, there are only two or three other players the Leafs can realistically move at the deadline. This reduces the number of draft capital or young players that the Leafs can get. Thus making the future less bright than it otherwise would have been. Sure, it's unlikely anything would come out of this, but still, the more draft capital and young players you have, the more likely you can find a franchise cornerstone.
There is also no chance that either player could raise their trade value over the next couple of days. At this point, we know who these players are. They are both bottom-six forwards with a little offensive upside and can provide some physicality. Nothing in two games can change that perception. Two great performances won't make a team overpay or change the scouting report they have on these two.
If the Leafs want to make the most out of this deadline and put this team in a better spot, they have to scratch Laughton and McMann. They gain nothing by playing them and just open themselves up to long-term harm.