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The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering the NHL winter Olympic break on a three-game winning streak.<\/p>\n
Whatever momentum they have is now being halted. When they return in three weeks (February 25th), the Leafs will be playing back-to-back games. The first will be against the Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> (February 25th) and then the Florida Panthers (February 26th).<\/p>\n Toronto will be hoping the Olympic break kills the Lightning\u2019s momentum. Tampa is entering the break on a four-game winning streak. Break or no break, the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning will be a tough match for the Leafs. As the Leafs try to salvage their season and make the playoffs, they need to win the majority of their 25 remaining games.<\/p>\n From February 25th to March 10th, Toronto will play eight games. All eight games will be against Eastern Conference opponents. Of those eight games, five are against teams below Toronto in the standings at the Olympic break. Those have to be considered must-win games.<\/p>\n Toronto Needs to be Near Perfect<\/p>\n The month of March will see the Leafs play 15 games with four sets of back-to-back games. All but four of those 15 games will be against Eastern Conference teams. For Toronto to see the playoffs, they will need to be near perfect in March.<\/p>\n Three Leafs players will be heading to Italy for the Winter Olympics. Auston Matthews<\/a> for Team USA, William Nylander<\/a> and Oliver Ekman-Larsson<\/a> for Team Sweden. All three have been good for Toronto this season. Hopefully, the thrill of the Olympics will carry over into the last leg of the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n For those not going to the Olympics, it will be a nice break. The perfect time to let the bumps and bruises heal. The last 25 games will be a battle, so here\u2019s hoping a fresh start on February 25th is just what the doctor ordered. Matthew Knies<\/a> has been playing through some knee issues that he\u2019s hoping to address during his time off. Toronto needs him to return to the pace he was on to start the season.<\/p>\n Trade Deadline Questions<\/p>\n The Maple Leafs will play six games in nine days before the NHL trade deadline on March 6th. Those six games will determine if Toronto will be Sellers or Buyers at the deadline. I think Leafs GM Brad Treliving will re-tool at the deadline. Unless the Leafs lose four or more games before the deadline, I don\u2019t see the complete fire sale that some fans are calling for.<\/p>\n Treliving\u2019s job is to try to improve the team. However, he also has to think about the future. We might see him trade a couple of pending UFAs for picks and prospects. A push for the playoffs is always the main goal. So, if things are looking good by the deadline, Treliving might end up buying and selling.<\/p>\n Toronto will be looking for a top-four defenseman (as is everyone else) and forwards for depth scoring. Calle Jarnkrok and Bobby McMann<\/a> are the two UFAs most likely to get traded at the deadline. McMann will bring back the best return. For now, let\u2019s enjoy the Olympics.<\/p>\n \tDiscover more from Inside The Rink<\/p>\n Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.<\/p>\n
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