With the Toronto Maple Leafs suffering three consecutive losses following the Olympic break, it may be safe to say now that the Leafs will be looking to sell at the upcoming trade deadline. To help savage a lost season, Toronto should do all that they can to recoup some valuable assets so that they can retool and prepare their roster for the upcoming seasons ahead.
As a result, which players should the Leafs use as their main trade bait to maximize the return that they could get? Here, we will take a look at 3 Maple Leafs that need to be traded by the deadline to net Toronto the necessary assets going forward.
3 Maple Leafs that need to be traded by the deadline
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
For Oliver Ekman-Larsson, it has been a renaissance season for the 34-year-old former star NHL defenseman. After seeing his numbers gradually on the decline in recent years, Ekman-Larsson has put together a strong 2025-26 campaign despite playing with the struggling Leafs this season. He has already recorded eight goals and 27 assists for 35 points in 60 games played and is on pace for his best season since way back in 2018-19 when he was still with the Arizona Coyotes. In fact, he even made the Sweden Olympic team roster that competed last month.
Even though his current contract with the Maple Leafs isn't expiring until another two more years, Ekman-Larsson's value is probably at its highest now given the circumstances. Especially when teams have been rumored to be potentially offering a first round pick and change for the veteran defender who will be turning 35 prior to the start of next season. Added to the fact that he has a $3.5 million AAV cap hit per season, Toronto can get precious assets as well as valuable cap space at the same time if they make their move now.
Brandon Carlo
With defenseman usually coming at a premium at the trade deadline, it makes Brandon Carlo a highly-valued trade chip for the Leafs in the coming week. Yes, Carlo may have not looked like his usual self during his first full season with Toronto this year. But a lot of it could be attributed to the fact that he had been injured for a significant portion of the 2025-26 season, limiting his overall effectiveness.
Nevertheless, that doesn't take away from the fact that Carlo has a proven track record of being an elite defender, as he is the perfect stay-at-home partner on a top-four pairing. With his ability to hit and clear out bodies in front of the net, as well as elevating his game come playoff time, he could provide massive value for any contending team down the stretch. Especially with the fact that Carlo has only an eight-team no-trade clause, as opposed to someone like Morgan Rielly who has a full no-movement clause, it gives the Leafs much more flexibility in finding the ideal trade partner to maximize their return.
Bobby McMann
Finally, we have perhaps the most sought-after asset currently on the Leafs roster in forward Bobby McMann. McMann is exactly the type of rugged forward that any Stanley Cup contending team would like to add to their roster in their playoff run. As a result, he has seen his name among the top players available across various trade boards in the media.
On top of that, McMann has had a stellar 2025-26 campaign to date, with 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points in just 59 games played, putting him on pace to shatter his career highs in each of those scoring categories. With the ability to dominate at times with his physical play, along with potentially becoming a key player on special teams as well, he has caught the eye of many prospective teams in the league, with the Edmonton Oilers being the one most frequently linked to the 29-year-old forward. As a result, if the Maple Leafs intend to get a huge haul this trade deadline, McMann must be the main piece that will need to be sacrificed.