The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are already underway, which means that the NHL is in the midst of a trade freeze. This means no NHL trades can happen until the Olympics games are over. However, teams will still be able to make trades after the Olympics until the trade deadline on March 6.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be able to trade anyone just yet, but they must trade three specific players once the ability to make trades again returns. Those three players are Calle Jarnkrok, Brandon Carlo, and Max Domi. Let’s break down why these players must be on their way out once NHL play resumes later this month.
Calle Jarnkrok
Jarnkrok, in his first year with the Leafs, was not a bad bottom-six option. However, his play has rapidly declined. The 34-year-old native of Sweden has recorded only seven points (six goals, one assist) so far this season in only 37 games played. He hasn’t recorded a point since Jan. 21, which was against the Detroit Red Wings, where he recorded an assist. What once looked like a decent option on a third or fourth line has not worked out at all. To make things easier for the Leafs regarding concerns about his performance this season, the best option would be to trade him to get some sort of return. It’s possible he will be worth a middle to late round draft pick, which, even though it might not be too much, is still better than nothing. Also, if the departure of Jarnkrok were to happen, it would make a spot in the lineup available, and it could have Jacob Quillan’s name on it, mainly due to the fact that he hasn’t seen too much ice time with the Leafs, and the time that Dakota Joshua would be out for.
Max Domi
While Domi hasn’t been too bad this season with his 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 55 games played this season, the Leafs must deal him out for the sake of a return package. Could his stats be relative to playing alongside Auston Matthews on the first line for the past little while? Sure. However, Domi has sneakily become a playmaker this season. He could very well provide a decent return for the Leafs, such as a draft pick or two and a player or prospect, if traded. Domi can provide a bit of depth to a lineup and can be valuable if any team is looking for a feisty forward.
Brandon Carlo
To state the obvious, the Carlo trade was atrocious from a Leafs standpoint. There had been some hope that once he was brought into the lineup, the blueline would improve and would be a solid top-four defenceman, especially given how he is six-foot-five, and a right-handed shot. So far in his stint with the Leafs, he has only recorded eight points, all of them assists, in 54 games played. Despite not being much of a point-getter, he has defensive lapses in his game and has missed a bit of time this year due to injury. Carlo’s size and the fact that he’s a right-handed defenceman could draw some interest from teams looking for those traits, and the possibility to resurrect what he can provide on the ice.
There are no guarantees that the Leafs make the playoffs this season, which means they could begin to look ahead at next season, and how they would want to assemble.
If the Leafs trade these three players after the Olympics, it would help them retool a bit and slowly prepare for next season with whatever assets they acquire and flush away an underwhelming year with a good one next season.