With the NHL trade deadline just a week away, the Toronto Maple Leafs have quietly flipped the “For Sale” sign from aggressive buyer to something a little softer. Multiple league sources, including RG.org, suggest that two losses following the Olympic break — including an embarrassing 5-1 loss to Florida — GM Brad Treliving is now “really listening and ready to sell.”
Yet the expectation is not that the team will scorched-earth… even if some will argue that they should. Instead, Toronto is telegraphing a soft sell — no, not the artist of the song “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell (which is, ironically, somewhat fitting here). They will likely be sending out more pieces than they bring in, but not everyone is going.
Treliving will likely target expiring contracts and position the team as going through more of a four-month “retool”.
What Exactly Is a Soft-Sell?
A soft sell is more of a surgical plan to offload pieces that won’t be part of the game plan moving forward. Ideally, Toronto will only move out or offload pending free agents (UFAs and RFAs) and depth veterans whose contracts expire or whose value exceeds their fit. They will otherwise keep the core intact.
The goal is more subtle. Acquire draft picks, prospects, or cap flexibility — without surrendering contention status.
James Murphy used the Boston Bruins as an example. In the 2025 deadline, the Bruins sent veteran defenceman Brandon Carlo to Toronto for forward Fraser Minten, a top-five protected 2026 first-rounder, and a 2025 fourth. Boston gained a young two-way centre who has since grown into his role, plus added high-end future picks. They did it all while staying competitive.
Should anyone be surprised that it was the Maple Leafs that the Bruins got the best of?
What Is a Full Sell-Off?
A full sell-off (or fire sale) is much different.
Teams trade away star players or long-term pieces to flood the prospect pool and tank for lottery picks. Think Calgary moving Rasmus Andersson earlier this season. They will likely also move Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. The New York Rangers, who moved Artemi Panarin, will likely trade Vincent Trocheck are another good example. The risk in this strategy is years of irrelevance and toiling at the bottom of the standings. The reward is a top pick that will be someone the franchise can build around.
Related: NHL Rumors: Myers Update, Maple Leafs Soft Sell, and Oilers Getting Ekman-Larsson?
For the Leafs, these big names aren’t going anywhere. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies are all staying put. It’s the other names that Toronto will listen on.
Who Might Be On the Move?
Sources say every player on an expiring contract is available: UFAs Calle Jarnkrok, Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann, and Troy Stecher, plus RFAs Nick Robertson and Matias Maccelli.
Of that group, McMann could pivot to becoming one of the core guys, but if that doesn’t happen in the next two or three days, he is “all but certain” to go. He is reportedly asking north of $5 million AAV, so expect a trade.
Even the goaltending falls into the soft-sell category. While Anthony Stolarz’s new four-year deal makes him harder to move, sources eye Joseph Woll as the more realistic chip. With three NHL-calibre goalies already signed long-term and Dennis Hildeby waiting in the wings, moving Woll could quietly reshape things.
The upside of Toronto’s soft sell is clear: preserve the window, restock the farm, and avoid the “painful rebuild” that ownership is extremely resistant to. The downside? It risks becoming death by a thousand cuts — trimming depth without addressing bigger structural questions. A full sell-off, by contrast, would demand trading established veterans or even core pieces, something the Leafs have never seriously contemplated.
