We can all agree that Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs got hosed at this year’s trade deadline, only managing to move Nic Roy to Colorado and two last-minute deals, which sent Bobby McMann to Seattle and Scott Laughton to Los Angeles. Many fans are rightfully already looking ahead at what the 2026–27 season might have in store, myself included. That’s why today we’re going to look at four Toronto Maple Leafs you should sell stock in for the 2026–27 season.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
It should be no surprise to see Oliver Ekman-Larsson lead off this list. Many fans argued now was the right time for Brad Treliving and the front office to sell high on a guy like OEL. The 34-year-old, left-shot D-man has had a stellar year on the Maple Leafs’ backend and has been one of their only bright spots, putting up eight goals and 35 points through 64 games, which is his highest point total since the 2018–19 season with the Arizona Coyotes.
Toronto stood firm on their trade deadline ask for Oliver Ekman-Larsson, which was rumoured to be for a first-round pick, a second-round pick and more. If the team were able to get even close to that ask, they should’ve taken it. The odds that the Maple Leafs will ever get a season as good as this one out of Ekman-Larsson again are slim, and regression is likely for a player his age.
OEL will very likely still be an effective player for the Maple Leafs, especially for his $3.5M cap hit, but not moving on from him could prove to be a big mistake for this front office.
Anthony Stolarz
The 2025–26 season has been a difficult one for Anthony Stolarz. He and the Maple Leafs struggled to start the season, and things got worse after he suffered an injury on Remembrance Day against Boston. Fans wouldn’t see the 6’6 goaltender for months until he made his return in Mitch Marner’s return game on Jan. 23. Stolarz has only managed to get into 21 games this season, carrying a record of 7–9–3, leaving many fans to question if he is the answer for a comeback 2026–27 season.
With the emergence of Maple Leafs 2022 draft pick Dennis Hildeby, the pressure continues to build for both Anthony Stolarz and his counterpart, Joseph Woll. One of the biggest reasons I believe Toronto Maple Leafs fans should be selling stock in Anthony Stolarz is his injury history. You could make the same argument for Joseph Woll, who also has struggled to stay between the pipes for long periods of time. The reason I’m choosing to sell stock in Stolarz over Woll is because of the age factor; he will be 33 next year, and those knees aren’t getting any younger. Surgery this year already cost him two months.
The Maple Leafs having three goalies might end up being the perfect storm with the injury history of the two previously stated, so maybe there is optimism knowing Stolarz will have to play fewer games, but as of now, fans should be selling stock in the goalie out of Edison, New Jersey.
John Tavares
It’s hard to knock the former Maple Leafs captain after he took a sweetheart four-year, $4.4M AAV deal to remain a part of the Maple Leafs last summer. Multiple things can be true with a guy like John Tavares; it can be true that he should be loved for the discount he gave on his most recent contract with the Maple Leafs, but it can also be true that having a 34-year-old John Tavares as your second-line centre is not good enough in 2025–26.
The biggest drop off in Tavares’s game has been the footspeed. Even in his prime, he was never going to blow you away with his outright straight-line speed, but you can see a big difference in his speed year over year. With the lack of speed in Tavares’s game, it becomes difficult to envision him being a full-time second-line centre in 2026–27. Although I could see Tavares having success on the left wing, or even in a lesser role on the third line, his points are going to come through the power play next season.
I think the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t put John Tavares in a position to succeed, expecting him to be their full-time second-line centre this season, and if they decide to run back a similar plan next season, I think it’s time to sell stock in Johnny Toronto.
Brad Treliving and Craig Berube
A majority of Toronto Maple Leafs fans and I agree that neither general manager Brad Treliving nor head coach Craig Berube should be returning in either of their roles for the 2026–27 season. If you were to poll Toronto Maple Leafs fans across Canada, the general consensus from anyone who doesn’t have the last name Treliving or Berube is that they should be fired, immediately.
For Treliving, it has been a disappointing three seasons at the head of the Maple Leafs front office. His first move was a mistake, giving David Kampf a four-year contract extension which included a modified no-trade clause. But Brad Treliving’s tenure will be defined by the trade that could haunt Maple Leafs fans for decades, moving prospect Fraser Minten, a 2026 top-five protected 1st round pick and 4th round pick to the Boston Bruins for Brandon Carlo. If you haven’t already dumped your entire stock in this front office, do so now.
Craig Berube’s first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs was overall a success, finishing first place in the Atlantic division with a 52–26–4 record, but ended up getting bounced by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in seven games. Any goodwill Craig Berube had built up with this fanbase has quickly vanished after this torturous season. Now that Auston Matthews’ season is officially over after taking a vicious knee-on-knee hit from villain Radko Gudas, hopefully that was the last game the Maple Leafs captain will ever have to play for Craig Berube.
Next season
The future is dim for the Maple Leafs unless they can make major changes this offseason, from the front office, coaching staff and overall makeup of this roster. With only a few weeks remaining in the NHL season, fans should be watching for AHL call-ups like Jacob Quillian, Bo Groulx and Michael Pezzetta to make an impact and hopefully shine some light on such a dark season in Toronto.
This is irrelevant: “The Maple Leafs having three goalies might end up being the perfect storm with the injury history of the two previously stated,”
Dennis Hildeby’s waiver exempt status expires at the end of this season and there is no way he would ever pass through waivers after the 2026 Leafs’ training camp.
Therefore, one of Hildeby, Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz must be traded in the offseason. It is my hope it is Stolarz but I have zero faith in Treliving’s vision for the future of this team He doesn’t seem to understand the concept of players aging out of the league or the need for more than just two right shooting right wingers.
According to a popular waivers calculator online, Hildeby is waiver exempt for another year. 1 year or 35 games.
It’s best not to speak for everyone. No, the Leafs with Brad Treliving didn’t get hosed, they did exactly what they should have. Obviously, it wasn’t much of a seller’s market and they weren’t willing to sell more for what anyone would pay. As far as Laughton, he came with TERM, RETENTION and as a 3C. He went as a RENTAL UFA with NO TERM, NO RETENTION, as a 4C and being poor in the last playoffs. As far as McMann, he’s a RENTAL UFA with NO TERM, NO RETENTION and he disappeared for the last 24 games last season including all 13 playoff games where he didn’t get one goal! So, these two players are RENTAL UFAs for the playoffs ONLY but both of them were lousy in last year’s playoffs! The Leafs therefore did not get hosed but the opposite. They got a great deal on Roy!
Although there are better GMs who would be good to have, Treliving is not too bad in the grand scale and was the best available when the Leafs needed one. This is an important point. You can’t get any GM you want, you must get a GM when they are available. You also can’t hire a GM who expects to be there for at least 1-2 years and then fire them 3 months later because you think someone has become available who is better!
OEL IS a stellar player. He had a big contract (at the time) with the Canucks, got an injury where him and the team decided to play through it. The problem was it lingered forever, to the point where they bought him out. That injury obviously healed for this season and he’s back. There is no reason to think that a stellar defenseman will suddenly drop off in performance at age 34-36 and his contract is amazing for the Leafs if they intend to compete next year. All factors considered, he can’t be replaced! He’s been their best defenseman and you can’t get anyone near for the price but sell him! That would be a bad move.
Until any of the 3 Leafs’ goalies prove to be a real starting goalie, they are actually backup goalies. In fact, Stolarz (and Woll) both had not played more than 25 games in a season when they were thrust into being a tandem. Both have been forced to play many more than 25 games as a tandem. So then, no surprise with the injuries! It’s not really been much of a tandem then but rather one substituting for the other injured while the 3rd goalie comes up and plays. Probably more ideal would be having a real starting goalie who has proven to be able to play lots of games and doesn’t get injured much compared to these two. Only, that’s probably going to cost as much as the Leafs are paying combined for their 3 goalies! Along with this, the 3rd goalie, Hildeby, is still waiver exempt for the next year! The Leafs have had an impossible time trying to get a decent 3rd and keeping them what with waivers, injuries and such. Also, Hildeby has not proven to be a starting goalie either. The Leaf have 3 backup goalies!
Tavares will need to be moved off 2C. He should be tried for a while at 2W and, if not, he may be the best 3C in the NHL! Tavares won’t be traded and it’s most likely that they agreed he wouldn’t be for the life of that contract.
Apparently, this article is pushing for a rebuild that will take a few years at the least!