2026 NHL Trade Deadline: Toronto Maple Leafs poised to be sellers for first time in a decade

It hasn’t been a great season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After losing their first two games back following the Olympic break, Toronto now sits eight points out of a playoff spot with six teams to leapfrog.

One week out from the March 6 NHL trade deadline, Toronto is rumoured to be looking at things realistically and preparing to be sellers for the first time in a decade.

So, who’s on the chopping block for the Leafs? Let’s get into it.

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McMann, Laughton

Trading pending UFAs will be key for the Leafs, so Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton are the most likely players to be moved if they don’t agree to new contracts before the deadline.

McMann, in particular, should draw a lot of interest. With 19 goals and 32 points in 58 games, the 29-year-old is on pace to smash his previous career-highs and his $1.35 million cap hit should easily be manageable for any playoff contenders.

Laughton is a trickier story as Toronto gave up a lot for him at last year’s trade deadline. The Leafs sent forward Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round draft pick to Philadelphia, who retained half of the 31-year-old’s $3 million cap hit. If Toronto doesn’t get a first-round pick back for Laughton, it’s a huge swing and a miss.

OEL, Carlo, Benoit

The Maple Leafs have one of the oldest blue lines in the NHL, so getting rid of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Carlo and Simon Benoit, who are all signed for next season, will open up room to inject youth on the back end next year.

Ekman-Larsson proved to be a great depth defenceman when the Florida Panthers won the first of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024. He’s put up decent numbers this season with eight goals and 35 points in 59 games, but teams could be wary of trading for a 34-year-old who is signed for two more seasons after this one at a $3.5 million cap hit,

Carlo, who has five assists in 35 games this season, was also acquired at last year’s trade deadline and it was a steep price. Toronto gave Boston their top prospect in centre Fraser Minten and a first-round pick for Carlo. The Leafs likely have to cut their losses and understand they won’t get the same return for the 29-year-old.

Benoit is the youngest Toronto defenceman at 27-years-old, which really says a lot about how old this blue line is. With three assists in 51 games, Benoit is more of a depth option who can play a heavy style of hockey that playoff teams will be interested in.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs have four games left before the trade deadline, starting with a home date against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.

And for any Toronto fans holding out hope the team can still make a run to the playoffs, they are currently +750 to make the postseason and -1200 to miss. That’s an implied probability of roughly a 90 per cent chance the Leafs miss the playoffs.

I’m not saying this is a rebuild situation, but it might be time for Toronto to reset, restock the cupboard and take a run at being competitive a couple years from now.