The NHL roster freeze starts today but the Leafs can still make moves
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Although the NHL roster freeze before the Olympics starts on Wednesday, there is still a few hours before the deadline and Toronto could still make a trade.
The Maple Leafs are feeling a lot better about things recently after a miserable stretch. Winners of three straight, they head into the Olympic break with a lot of questions about whether or not they should be sellers or try and buy to make a playoff push.
But they don't have a huge timeframe to work with, considering the NHL roster freeze is about to hit and teams aren't able to make any deals until after the Olympic break; though that could be a good thing for the Maple Leafs.
Toronto can still make moves, but time is running out
However if the team still wanted to make a deal they absolutely could, as the roster freeze didn't kick in at midnight on Wednesday but teams will have until 3PM ET to get a deal done meaning there's still a few hours to work with:
The biggest story to keep an eye on is Artemi Panarin's future home, as the New York Rangers have reportedly been trying to get him dealt before the freeze hits, but there is one extra bit of news.
Teams can still file extensions, which means for the Maple Leafs, that means they still have time to mull over who to trade and who to keep, and could use the next little bit to do their homework, find deals for their free agents, and get it done and focus on the rest of the season.
Toronto will need the Olympic break to finish before knowing where to go however
We've heard that there are several Maple Leafs potentially on the move, especially Bobby McMann; who basically had an audition on Tuesday night against the Oilers as the two parties have been linked heavily in a rumoured deal.
Brad Treliving has a lot of work to do these next couple of weeks, and he'll need to utilize all of that time to figure something out. His job isn't necessarily on the line, but if he doesn't present some type of path for the future; he may be on the way out.
It's also going to be pertinent to keep an eye on the stars like William Nylander and Auston Matthews, as potential injuries could affect their direction after the Olympics, and if Oliver Ekman-Larsson has a strong tournament; his stock is only going to rise even more.
So it's time for the Maple Leafs to buckle down, figure out what they want to do with the rest of the season and make sure they have the best plan possible going forward.
Don't expect a massive deal in the next few hours, but this is Toronto we're talking about; anything can happen.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 4|892 ANSWERS The NHL roster freeze starts today but the Leafs can still make moves Do you think the Maple Leafs should make a trade before 3PM? | ||
| Yes | 513 | 57.5 % |
| No | 379 | 42.5 % |
| List of polls | ||