As the Maple Leafs’ season continues to slide off course, the front office is facing some tough questions - and even tougher decisions - about the future of this roster. With the trade deadline looming on March 6, Toronto appears to be shifting into seller mode, and that has naturally brought the spotlight back onto their franchise cornerstone: Auston Matthews.
This all comes on the heels of a summer that saw Mitch Marner walk away without the Leafs getting anything in return - a stinging loss for a team that can’t afford to repeat that kind of misstep. The lesson from the Marner situation?
If a star has one foot out the door, you can’t wait until the clock hits zero to find out. That’s why Toronto’s brass recently sat down with Matthews’ camp to get a read on where things stand.
According to reports, the message from both sides was clear: nothing has changed. Matthews remains committed to the Maple Leafs, and the organization remains committed to him.
With two years left on his contract after this season, there’s no panic button being pressed - at least not when it comes to their captain. The Leafs aren’t interested in letting history repeat itself, and this check-in was all about ensuring that both parties are still aligned.
For now, they are.
But while the Matthews situation appears steady, the rest of the roster is a different story.
With the team underperforming and the standings painting a grim picture, Toronto has started making calls around the league - not to blow things up, but to gauge the market for some of their more movable pieces. These aren’t blockbuster-level talks just yet.
Think more exploratory than explosive. The front office is doing its due diligence, asking other teams, *“What do you think of our roster?
Who are you interested in?” * It’s the kind of groundwork that usually precedes a flurry of deadline activity.
The focus, for now, seems to be on the non-core players - those on expiring deals or with one year left before hitting free agency. Names like Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, Calle Järnkrok, and Troy Stecher are all in that first category.
Brandon Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, and Nic Roy fall into the latter. These are the kinds of pieces that can quietly shape a team’s future if handled correctly - whether that means re-signing them at a reasonable price or flipping them for assets while their value is still high.
It’s now up to GM Brad Treliving to navigate that balancing act. He’s the one tasked with deciding who stays, who goes, and what the return needs to look like to justify each move. With no major shake-ups in the front office - aside from one assistant coaching change - the responsibility lies squarely on his shoulders.
The Leafs aren’t in fire-sale territory, but they’re also not pretending everything is fine. They’re in that murky middle ground where a few smart decisions could set the stage for a bounce-back - or a few missteps could deepen the hole.
What’s clear is that the organization isn’t standing still. They’re listening, evaluating, and preparing to act.
And in a season that hasn’t gone to plan, that might be the most encouraging sign yet.