"If there was any optimism left about the Toronto Maple Leafs' season, it should have disappeared late Thursday night in Seattle. Now ten points back of the final wild card spot with 28 games remaining, the Leafs have just a 2.5% chance of making the playoffs according to MoneyPuck. The question of whether or not the Leafs should be trade deadline sellers has been answered, the question shifts to how many players should be shipped out and who?"
"On the plus side, the Maple Leafs learned from the Phil Kessel situation and actually put a protection on the first round pick they traded to the Bruins in order to acquire Brandon Carlo. The downside, it was only a top five pick protection and where the Leafs are sitting today, they have once again handed the Bruins a top ten selection in the upcoming draft."
"That said, if the Leafs sell aggressively enough at the trade deadline and potentially shut down some banged up players for the remainder of the season, it's entirely possible that the Leafs could take a run at the bottom five spots in the NHL. Right now, they are seven points ahead of the Rangers who presently hold that distinction. The problem is, they won't be Vancouver bad."
The Toronto Maple Leafs sit ten points back of the final wild card spot with 28 games remaining and a 2.5% playoff probability. The team should sell at the trade deadline, shifting focus to how many players to move and which assets to prioritize. A previously traded first-round pick to Boston carried only top-five protection, and current positioning hands Boston another top-ten selection. Brandon Carlo has provided little value while prospect Fraser Minten has emerged. Aggressive selling and shutting down injured players could push the Leafs toward bottom-five positioning, but rival teams will pursue similar strategies.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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