The Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning skated at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.
For the first time since picking Auston Matthews first overall in 2016, the Maple Leafs sold at the NHL trade deadline.
“It’s not ideal and it’s not fun,” Matthews said. “It’s never fun losing and being in this position, this situation, but you have to take responsibility. It’s obviously on the players and you kind of lay in the bed you make.”
The Leafs sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. They are 10 points out of a playoff spot heading into Saturday’s home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the 48 hours leading into Friday’s deadline, general manager Brad Treliving traded away centre Nicolas Roy, centre Scott Laughton and winger Bobby McMann in exchange for five draft picks.
Toronto has dropped six straight games (0-4-2) since returning from the Olympic break. The uncertainty surrounding the deadline weighed on the group.
“It’s hard for it not to, especially here,” said Matthews, who is in his second season as captain. “There’s always a lot of noise, but I thought guys handled it as professionally and as well as they could.”
How is Matthews handling it?
“He’s been fine,” said Craig Berube, who is in his second season as the team’s head coach. “Obviously he’s not happy about things and losing teammates and the situation that we’re in. He’s like everybody else. Nobody is happy with that.”
It will be on Matthews and the rest of the leadership group to help the team navigate the final 19 games of the season.
“That’s where it starts,” Berube said. “That’s gotta be the standard for sure.”
What is Matthews’ mindset?
“Taking it one game at a time and making sure we’re ready to compete and having fun, sticking together, putting in an effort we can be proud of when we leave the rink,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s something we owe one another. I think we owe it to the fans who pay money to come watch us play to go out and put forward a good effort.”
The Leafs have lost seven straight games at home (0-5-2). Toronto fans haven’t celebrated a win at Scotiabank Arena win since Jan. 10.
Matthews on Leafs situation: ‘It’s obviously on the players and you lay in the bed you make’ For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Maple Leafs could be missing out on post-season play. After a roster shakeup over the last couple of days, Toronto captain Auston Matthews speaks about dealing with the current situation, and points the finger back at himself and the players for not playing to the level expected.
—
What was deadline day like for Oliver Ekman-Larsson?
“It’s hard, especially for me,” the 34-year-old defenceman said. “I wanted to stay, wanted to be here, and we love it here, so I think that makes it even harder.”
Ekman-Larsson was held out of Toronto’s games on Wednesday and Thursday as Treliving entertained trade offers for the Swedish Olympian. Ultimately, no team met the asking price.
“I’m relieved and obviously happy,” Ekman-Larsson said. “I still believe in this team and wanted to be here. It’s a tough day. It’s a weird day. Just trying to keep myself busy with the little guy and worked pretty good.”
Brad Treliving on Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has two years remaining on his deal beyond this season:
“With term left on his contract, we required a return that I thought would be fair & nobody met that level”
OEL sat out last two games for roster management@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 6, 2026
Ekman-Larsson is only in the second year of a four-year contract, and his wife is expecting the couple’s second child soon. TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston asked if any fences need to be mended considering how the deadline played out?
Ekman-Larsson sighed before answering.
“Ah, I don’t know,” he said. “Like I said, I’m just happy to still be here and that’s what I wanted and what my family wanted so super excited about that. And, like I said, I still have a lot of belief in this organization and love being here, so I was trying not to think about it too much … but it was pretty tough.”
Will ‘relieved’ Ekman-Larsson need to mend fences after ‘tough’ deadline with Leafs? ‘I don’t know’ After not being dealt at the deadline, Oliver Ekman-Larsson showed relief at the Maple Leafs’ morning skate prior to their game against the Lightning, and he explained why he wanted to stay in Toronto.
—
This has been a tough stretch for the players. How is Berube processing things?
“I don’t think that right now is the right time to process the whole thing, like, with you guys and talk about everything, what I’m feeling and what I’m seeing,” he said. “We’ll do that another time.”
Berube is doing his best to keep belief alive in the dressing room.
“I told the guys today, you know, until we’re completely out of it, we’re not out of it,” the coach said. “We gotta focus on the game tonight and the effort and compete that’s needed and playing the right way.”
Toronto’s playoff chances are down to 0.2 per cent, per moneypuck.com.
Berube trying to keep Leafs hope alive: ‘Until we’re completely out of it, we’re not out of it’ The Maple Leafs have lost six games in a row, and sit 10 points out of the wild card in the Eastern Conference. After unloading some key players ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Leafs admit that while it is a challenge, they aren’t done just yet.
—
The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division last year before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in a seven-game, second-round series. Both the Leafs and Panthers appear destined to miss the postseason altogether this year.
“I’ve gone through what the Panthers have gone through,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “Going to three straight Finals is trying. It’s tough. We were fortunate to continue making the playoffs. They had some massive injuries. They’ve made a run. Let’s be honest, their run has been pretty special. [Sometimes] the stars align for you, sometimes they don’t and they didn’t align for them this year.”
What about the Leafs?
“Probably a little bit of the same thing,” said Cooper. “They don’t have the fruits of their labour like the way Florida does, so it’s probably tougher for the Leafs to swallow in a way.”
The Leafs made the playoffs in the last nine seasons, but won just two series during that stretch. Mitch Marner then left the organization via a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights in the summer.
“When there’s roster change, it can affect things,” said Cooper. “I’m not here every day so I don’t know. All I know is I haven’t beaten the Leafs in I don’t know how long. I know we beat them [recently], but I wasn’t behind the bench. So, the Leafs are always hard for me because I, literally, haven’t beaten them in a year and a half.”
The Lightning beat the Leafs in the first game after the Olympic break, but Cooper missed the game to be with his family following the death of his father.
The last time Cooper was behind the bench for a Lightning win over the Leafs was April 17, 2024. He’s lost five straight games since then
Cooper on decline of Leafs: ‘When there’s roster change, it can affect things’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shares his thought on why the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs have seen a decline this season, and why Tampa Bay has been able to sustain their success.
—
While the Leafs have taken a step back this season, the Lightning are on track to make the playoffs for a ninth straight year.
Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman are a big reason for this run, but Cooper credits general manager Julien BriseBois for keeping things fresh around the core.
“We’ve got a great core,” Cooper said. “We got the centremen, the big D, the goalie, but there’s been a little infusion of young guys that have come in. [Charle-Edouard] D’Astous has come in and provided some big minutes for us when guys got hurt. There was development from [Declan] Carlile, [Max] Crozier and [Emil] Lilleberg on the back end.
“And people were sitting there and saying, ‘I can’t believe they’re winning,’ but all these guys came in and helped us win. [Gage] Goncalves has taken a step. Dominic James, another one that I don’t think anybody was anticipating to come in.
“A lot of credit has to go to Julien and the staff for finding some of these younger players that have really not only given us a bump, but can play. I think that’s helped. And then you have a core group led by the Kuchs and the Points and [Jake Guentzel] and Hags and Tony and those guys, they’ve been themselves and it’s really helped us.”
Despite dropping four straight games in regulation, the Lightning remain second in the Eastern Conference and on top of the Atlantic Division standings, which isn’t an easy feat this season.
“This is as tough a conference as I’ve ever seen it,” Cooper said. “I’ve been in this league a while. This is anybody’s game, this one.”
—
The Lightning made one addition at the deadline bringing back Corey Perry.
“I don’t expect him to go in there and play 20 minutes a night, but I do feel we’re a better team with him,” Cooper said. “Really excited to have him back. It’s much more than the stuff he does on the ice. It’s on the bench. He sees things, he says things and you’re just always like, ‘I wish I thought of that.’”
Perry played two previous seasons for the Lightning from 2021 to 2023. The veteran winger agreed to waive his no-trade clause when approached by the Los Angeles Kings about moving back to Tampa. Perry’s young son was on board.
“He was excited,” Perry noted. “This is a team that, if they called you’d be definitely open to [it], and he said, ‘Go,’ so it’s nice to hear.”
Perry’s son and wife will remain in California.
“It’s tough leaving them,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, you have a chance to win a Stanley Cup and come to a great team and a great Cup contender and that’s what the end goal is.”
Perry has played in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, including 2022 with the Lightning, but he hasn’t lifted the Cup since 2007 in his second NHL season with the Anaheim Ducks.
Perry’s flight to Toronto on Friday was delayed four hours and he only landed at 4 a.m. ET. He will rely on adrenaline on Saturday night.
“You have to,” the 40-year-old from Peterborough, Ont. said. “But I think playing in Toronto kind of helps. It’s the hockey Mecca and I’ll have some family here so it’s exciting.”
What did the morning skate feel like?
“It’s kind of like I never left,” he said with a grin.
‘Playing in Toronto helps’: After landing at 4 am, Perry pumped to start second stint with Bolts Corey Perry talks to the media ahead of his debut with the Lightning as they are in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs Saturday night. He shares his excitement about his second stint with Tampa Bay and how the trade came to fruition.
—
Lines at Saturday’s Leafs skate:
Maccelli – Matthews – Nylander
Knies – Tavares – Cowan
Joshua – Domi – Robertson
Lorentz – Quillan – Jarnkrok
Rielly – Carlo
McCabe – Ekman-Larsson
Benoit – Stecher
Myers
Stolarz starts
Woll
Power play units at Saturday’s Leafs skate:
QB: Rielly
Flanks: Matthews, Nylander
Middle: Tavares
Down low: Knies
QB: Ekman-Larsson
Flanks: Domi, Maccelli
Middle: Robertson
Net front: Cowan