The Toronto Maple Leafs recently snapped out of a season-long six-game losing streak. But even with a victory over the NHL-worst Vancouver Canucks, the Maple Leafs are about to embark on “sell mode”. David Alter dives in.
After Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said in December he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel, the beginning of 2026 looked promising.
The Leafs went on an incredible run to get themselves back into a playoff spot, capped off by a road victory against the Colorado Avalanche, only to be snapped back down to reality to their current spot—well down the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. As of this writing, the Leafs are only eight points out. However, there are so many teams in front of them that getting up to a reasonable chance of entering the postseason for a 10th consecutive season seems unrealistic. Even if they got into a tie, their regulation wins (the first tiebreaker in the standings) are among the lowest in the NHL.
With that said, now is the time for the Leafs to become sellers and look at some of the assets they have that they can parlay into prospects and draft picks. Let’s take a look at some potential assets.
Bobby McMann, Forward (UFA 2026)
The 29-year-old forward is on pace for another career season with 17 goals and 13 assists in 54 games. Carrying a salary cap hit of $1.35 million, the forward would be a solid add for a team looking for another top-9 forward. He’s proven capable of playing alongside Auston Matthews on the top line this season.
With Toronto lacking some depth draft picks, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see the Leafs fetch a pair of second-round picks for him. Toronto doesn’t have a second-round pick this year; if they finish outside of the top five in the first round, they won’t be picking until Round 3. The Leafs likely want to keep McMann, but the problem is finding the right salary cap hit. Given what McMann has put up, it’s not unlikely that the player could fetch $4 million with another team.
Scott Laughton, Forward (UFA 2026)
Scott Laughton has become one of the most popular players in the room for Toronto, so parting with him would be tough. However, the player only carries a $1.5 million cap hit after the Philadelphia Flyers retained half in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick and Russian forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin.
Laughton is another player the Leafs would rather keep, but if Toronto retained another 50 percent of his salary, the Leafs could recoup some of the haul they gave up for him. There is, of course, the possibility that the player leaves and they work out a deal to come back after July 1.
Brandon Carlo, Defenseman (UFA 2027)
There is no question that the trade the Leafs made to get Carlo looks bad right now. The first-round pick was costly, and Fraser Minten was just named the NHL Rookie of the Month for the Bruins for January. But Carlo is still a serviceable right-shot defensive defenseman who can help a contending team. Getting a first-round pick back may be out of the question, but the price could go up as we get closer to the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Defenseman (UFA 2028)
Without a doubt, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been Toronto’s best defenseman this season. With a $3.5 million salary cap hit, I don’t think there is a huge appetite to move him. But teams may come calling for the well-rounded defender who was named to the 2026 Winter Olympic roster. Provided he stays healthy in Milan, OEL’s contract and production would be a huge asset; that could be the best chance for Toronto to land a first-rounder or top-flight pick.
Morgan Rielly, Defenseman (UFA 2030)
Toronto’s longest-tenured Maple Leaf has not had a good season. It could be time to have a conversation about the prospect of him playing somewhere else. It’s going to be entirely up to Rielly, who has a full no-movement clause. Toronto may have to retain some of the $7.5 million cap hit if there are takers. This type of move may be better facilitated for the offseason.