The Toronto Maple Leafs were handed some surprising praise despite a lackluster NHL Trade Deadline.
Toronto is having a disappointing season, and the team ended up having to be sellers at the trade deadline. The Maple Leafs were able to land a first-round pick and a fifth-round pick for Nic Roy, but the return for Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton was lackluster.
However, despite the lackluster returns, NHL analyst Mark Lazerus of The Athletic named the Maple Leafs one of his trade deadline winners.
“The Leafs have done the impossible: They’ve made themselves sympathetic figures,” Lazerus wrote. “Not only are they mired in a miserable season while facing a difficult retool around Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who are losing prime seasons to this process, but they’re probably not even going to reap the benefits of a lost campaign.
“Barring a draft-lottery win or a truly spectacular losing streak to close the season, the Leafs are unlikely to land a top-five draft pick. If they pick anywhere beyond the fifth pick, that selection goes to the Boston Bruins as a result of last year’s Brandon Carlo trade. So, let’s throw the Leafs a bone and give them a stick tap for somehow extracting a first-round pick (albeit a very late one) from Colorado for an underperforming third-line center in Nic Roy. It’s a huge win for Toronto, which badly needed one. The return for Bobby McMann (a second and a fourth) is a little underwhelming. But they had to get something for him, and they did. Good enough.”
The Maple Leafs did recoup some assets at the trade deadline, which Lazerus believes was good enough.
Maple Leafs GM Takes Blame
Toronto won the Atlantic Division last season and was expected to be firmly in the playoff mix again.
However, the Maple Leafs have struggled all season and are well on their way to missing the playoffs. So, after the NHL Trade Deadline, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving took blame for the lost season.
“It starts with me,” Treliving said. “I take responsibility for our season. I don’t look at today being an autopsy day. We still have 19 games to go. But I think there are a whole host of reasons.
“I’ll take responsibility. You know, we met earlier in the year, (at) about the 20-game mark, where we got off to a slow start. And again, the failures start with me. Once we get through the end of the season, you know, there will be all sorts of evaluation.”
The Maple Leafs are 27-25-11 and are in last place in the Atlantic Division. And, they may not even get their first-round pick this year.
Toronto Gets a Look at Young Players
With the NHL Trade Deadline passed, the Maple Leafs’ focus will likely turn to next season.
So, the Maple Leafs should get the chance to see plenty of young players get bigger roles, while others will be called up. Maple Leafs insider Luke Fox of Sportsnet reported that Toronto is already preparing to call up plenty of players from the Marlies.
“The Maple Leafs sent Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan down to the Marlies in a paper move so those forwards can be eligible for the AHL playoffs,” Fox wrote. “Expect more Marlies to get a peek in the show as Toronto skates out its final 19 games.”
Toronto returns to the ice on March 7 at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Maple Leafs Get Surprising Praise After Lackluster NHL Trade Deadline