The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be very involved at the NHL trade deadline. This week, before the clock strikes 3:00 p.m. on Friday, we could see general manager Brad Treliving make some sort of deal as this team sells off some pieces and gears up for a transitional summer.
And we might have just got the biggest tell that a trade could happen any second.
Maple Leafs give signal that a trade is about to happen soon
Ahead of the AHL Toronto Marlies playing the Cleveland Monsters for a day-time game on Wednesday, it was revealed that young center Jacob Quillan is not going to be in the lineup. It could be for any number of reasons -- nursing an injury, just giving other players reps for this mid-day game -- but TSN's Mark Masters made it clear that it was for trade-related reasons.
Quillan not playing for Marlies today
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 4, 2026
Insurance in case trades happen
But all hands on deck at Leafs skate as they prep for tonight’s game in New Jersey @TSN_Sports https://t.co/Jll7SYRHmi
Now, it's not like any other player who is in the NHL being held out for trade-related reasons. Those examples are more for players who are about to be traded and they don't want to risk injury.
For Quillan and Toronto, they are not letting the 24-year-old center play because they don't want to risk him getting injured when they need to call him up to the Leafs when they trade away a whole lot of forwards.
That is a big tell that the Leafs are going to at least trade away a couple of players from their lineup, and that Quillan will replace them to finish out the year up in the NHL -- which is honestly fantastic news. Quillan has deserved a recall for some time now and after scoring 12 goals and 33 points in 38 games for the Marlies this season, it's great that he is getting his chance to claim a spot in the NHL lineup.
Forwards the Maple Leafs could trade soon
It's not like the Leafs have a whole lot of time to get deals done, but maybe this means that something is closer than we thought.
The Leafs aren't holding out anyone as they take on the New Jersey Devils Wednesday night, so it might not happen as soon as today, but there is loads of buzz around Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann, and Nicolas Roy as potential forwards who are shipped out before Friday night.
We'll stay tuned in for any little inklings of potential deals happening as we count down the hours until the deadline.