While the Toronto Maple Leafs have been playing inconsistently all season long, there’s enough talent on this team to make you believe that they could do serious damage down the stretch if they get hot at the right time. Auston Matthews has found his scoring touch again, William Nylander has been outstanding when he’s available in the lineup, and John Tavares has provided a steady presence despite being in the twilight of his career.

Part of what has resulted in the Leafs being just outside the playoffs is the fact that they have been dealing with a boatload of injuries all season long. Chris Tanev has been mostly unavailable, it took until Mitch Marner’s homecoming for Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll to dress in the same game for the first time, and Nylander has missed some time as well. Even the guys who have stayed in the lineup for the most part, like Matthew Knies and Ekman-Larsson, are not 100% at the moment, which will have an impact on the overall performance. That’s not to say that they can be excused for the inconsistent play, but it would help explain why the season has not been smooth sailing.

If this Leafs team can get most of their key guys fully healthy down the stretch, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they can put it all together when it matters the most. They are a veteran team that could benefit greatly from the Olympic break to get guys rested and allow head coach Craig Berube the time needed to scheme up a new plan of attack for his system down the stretch. Deciding to wave the white flag if they start to turn a corner would send the wrong message to the locker room that has maintained a lot of self-belief in their abilities.

The other thing that needs to be considered is that Treliving may not be keen on committing to selling off assets when his job is in jeopardy. Unless he is given some security from the higher-ups at MLSE to stick around for next season, he would likely feel the pressure to give the Leafs the best shot of success, even with few assets to use to make upgrades. The Eastern Conference remains wide open and there has not been a serious contender that has emerged just yet, so the Leafs might like their chances of taking advantage of teams with minimal playoff experience.

While there are success stories for teams that commit to a fast retool, it does not always breed sustained success down the line as the St. Louis Blues have demonstrated after their 2023 retool. It could put the Leafs in a position where things get progressively worse, and they run the risk of losing more than just Marner. As tantalizing as it might be to start selling, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.