"The Toronto Maple Leafs went quietly into the Olympic roster freeze. That shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Had the Leafs completely bombed their last three games, the motivation would have been there to blow things up. However, the Maple Leafs pulled out three wins, including a solid victory over the Edmonton Oilers. That situation likely slammed the brakes on a sell-off. Heading into Thursday night's action, the Leafs are six points out of the second wild card spot."
"By "hybrid," we're talking about a situation in which the Leafs will both buy and sell. That means that the Leafs will be looking to sell off pieces that can yield other pieces to support the club right now. For instance, one name that's starting to pick up among Maple Leafs rumors is Oliver Ekman-Larsson. So, let's assume the Leafs cash in on Ekman-Larsson while netting a middle-six forward to support the offense."
The Maple Leafs recorded three recent wins, including over the Edmonton Oilers, which reduced impetus for a full roster teardown. The team sits six points out of the second wild-card spot, close enough to justify continued contention. Management is likely to pursue a hybrid trade-deadline approach that both buys and sells to address immediate needs and future depth. Potential moves include trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson for a middle-six forward or flipping a depth forward like Bobby McMann to acquire a replacement defenseman. The club prefers adding younger, more versatile pieces and draft picks or prospects; otherwise retaining current assets for the stretch run remains an option.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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