The Toronto Maple Leafs entered Wednesday’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils riding a four-game losing streak, falling further behind in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
At the end of the day, Toronto had lost its fifth consecutive game after dropping another one, the second straight ending in a shotout loss, to the Devils, falling 3-4 and moving down to a 27-24-11 record.
Toronto’s position in the standings, currently eight points outside of the postseason picture with 20 games to go, has intensified the rumors about a potential pivot made by general manager Brad Treliving ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
Forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson were healthy scratches against the Devils for roster management purposes, signaling potential trades might be on the horizon.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Before the game, captain Auston Matthews addressed the uncertainty when speaking to TSN’s Mark Masters about the idea of the Leafs turning into sellers and the frustrating situation the franchise is navigating.
“You can look at a lot of different factors,” Matthews said. “I’m not going to sit here and speculate on what went wrong. We’ve got a game tonight, and that’s where my focus is at. Obviously, you never want to be in this situation. It’s tough. It’s obviously frustrating.”
The 27-year-old is under contract through the 2027-28 season with a $13.25 million cap hit and holds a full no-movement clause.
Despite speculation linking him to other teams—namely the Los Angeles Kings—in a potential blockbuster trade, the most reputable reporters have indicated he is unlikely to be moved before the deadline.
Toronto’s recent results, however, make Matthews' frustration reasonable. Earlier during the five-game skid, Matthews already delivered a blunt assessment about the state of affairs in Toronto.
“Just bad, just fairly embarrassing to be honest with you,” Matthews said. “We need to have more pride in our play no matter where we're at, no matter what the situation is. We just have to have more pride in our game, and we didn't have that tonight.”
The NHL trade deadline is set for 3 p.m. ET on Friday, while the Leafs return to action on Thursday, visiting the New York Rangers with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.