Hockey analyst suggests Toronto Maple Leafs embrace seller role as their playoff hopes fade each day

The Maple Leafs find themselves playing must-win hockey in January after dropping four consecutive home games and going 1-4-2 over their last seven contests. The recent slide has cut their playoff chances nearly in half and left them as the 20th-best team in the NHL.

Not only that, but now they have just a 25.9 percent chance of reaching the postseason. James Mirtle of The Athletic examined the difficult position facing general manager Brad Treliving and the organization. If the Maple Leafs want to recover, they might be forced to make a few tough decisions.

Maple Leafs’ future depends on whether they make the playoffs or not

The team sits on pace for 90 points with 30 games remaining and would need to go 19-10-1 just to reach 96 points, which represents the current cutoff for the second wild card spot in the crowded Atlantic Division.

"Entering Tuesday's almost must-win game against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres, the Leafs are the 20th-best team in the NHL," Mirtle wrote. He emphasized that 66 percent of their remaining games come on the road against daunting opponents, including Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Florida, and Minnesota.

The schedule presents a massive challenge for an aging and injury-riddled roster that appears out of gas. A regulation loss to Buffalo would put the Sabres eight points ahead and likely out of reach. The Lightning hold a 13-point advantage while Detroit sits 12 points up, and both Boston and Montreal are six points clear.

Mirtle argued that the time for reinforcements has passed after the team struggled defensively all season while giving heavy minutes to aging players like Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Morgan Rielly. The front office has remained largely inactive aside from waiver claims, hoping for a turnaround that never materialized.

"Frankly, it feels too late for the Leafs to think about making a move to bolster this lineup," Mirtle said. "Reinforcements were needed a month or two ago." The analyst noted Treliving's job appears in jeopardy with ownership consolidating under Rogers and new MLSE president Keith Pelley setting high expectations across all franchises.

That reality makes it difficult to imagine the general manager eagerly embracing a sell-off strategy even if the situation warrants it. Mirtle identified potential trade candidates beyond pending unrestricted free agents and suggested that the Maple Leafs should offload them to free significant cap space for next season.

With just over a week left before the Olympic break starts, the Maple Leafs must win their next few games by any means, or else their playoff hopes are all but done.


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