The 2026 Winter Olympic Games just concluded. The exceptional two weeks were topped off with an electric gold medal game for men’s hockey. Team USA took down Team Canada in a thrilling 2–1 overtime win that sent American hockey fans into a frenzy. Auston Matthews proudly led the team to victory, being their captain throughout the tournament. Now, he leads the Toronto Maple Leafs back to the NHL, which resumes play on Wednesday. Hockey fans must be prepared to go back to watching regular NHL hockey every day.
The post-Olympic downfall
The Olympic tournament was an absolute treat for every hockey fan. It was the best on best representing their countries with the NHL in attendance. This was the first time NHL players were at the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi. There was a lot of high anticipation for the tournament, and boy oh boy, it did not disappoint. From the opening game between Slovakia and Finland to the gold medal game, it was non-stop entertainment.
For many Canadian hockey fans, these games took place in the morning. Waking up and watching Olympic hockey is like the best treat of all. Canadian fans got the pure excitement of watching Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Macklin Celebrini all play for the same team. Regular NHL fans got to keep tabs on their favourite team’s players, including Maple Leaf fans. Auston Matthews, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and William Nylander all represented their country at the Olympics. Each one of them had a fairly good showing.
Now that the Olympics are over, Leaf fans must buckle up for the NHL to return on Wednesday night. The Leafs will be back in action against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which is a key matchup for them in the Atlantic Division. It may not be the same as Olympic hockey, but at least the Leafs will be playing in some important games.
A momentum shift for the leaders
On the bright side, it will be interesting to see how the recent Olympics impact Matthews going forward. His legendary win over Team Canada can only provide an unlimited amount of confidence coming back to the NHL. Through six games in the tournament, Matthews scored three goals and seven points. He was tied for the second-most points on the team, just behind Quinn Hughes.
Nylander had himself a decent tournament. Yes, he could have done more, but he was not terrible. Through five games, Nylander posted a couple of goals and assists to finish the tournament with four points. He was expected to be a driver of offence for Team Sweden, but, quite frankly, was not. Lucas Raymond took over that role, who ended up being one of the best players in the tournament. With the disappointment of the Olympic Games, can Nylander come back stronger to Toronto and push for the playoffs?
Lastly, veteran defenceman Ekman-Larsson actually got a lot better as the tournament went on. He did not play in Sweden’s first game and gradually got more ice time. In the quarterfinal matchup against the USA, Ekman-Larsson played in place of Victor Hedman and was a key piece of the blueline. This was Ekman-Larsson’s second time representing Sweden at the Olympics and will likely be his last.
Leafs mindset ahead
The Leafs had a very up-and-down ride up to the Olympic break. In mid January, the Leafs went on a brutal six-game losing streak and lost eight of nine games. During this tough stretch, many hockey fans thought that the season was over for the Leafs. It certainly seemed that way as the team genuinely looked lost on the ice. Fortunately, just before the break, the Leafs swept the Western Canada road trip and went into the break riding a three-game winning streak.
The next couple of weeks could determine the direction the Leafs take for the remainder of the season. They face three divisional opponents following the Olympic break and have a total of six games before the trade deadline. Many rumours were floating around before that the Leafs would be sellers at this year’s deadline, but a hot streak could instantly turn that mindset around.
In my honest opinion, I think the Leafs should be sellers at the deadline. Regardless of any kind of hot streak, the current team is not good enough to contend in the playoffs. They currently sit six points out of a playoff spot, and do not sit far out from the bottom 10 in the overall standings. I believe they should sell and tank for the rest of the season. It is the right thing to do, as the Leafs only keep their first-round pick if it is in the top five of the draft.
Do you think the Leafs should tank for the rest of the season? Or do they have what it takes to push for a playoff spot?
