Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Need to Make a Trade as Two New Injuries Impact Blue Line

With two more injuries to key Maple Leafs defensemen, perhaps it is time Toronto starts thinking about making trades.

by
NHL Trade Talk
January 22, 2026

As per a report by NHL insider Chris Johnston, it appears the Toronto Maple Leafs got more bad news on Thursday. He posted on X, “The hits keep coming to the Leafs blue line: Not only did Oliver Ekman-Larsson leave last night’s game with a lower-body issue that is expected to cause him to miss some time, but there’s concern Brandon Carlo tweaked something as well.”

The Maple Leafs can’t seem to catch a break with their defense corps. With Dakota Mermis on LTIR and Chris Tanev already down and possibly done for the season, another injury was going to be hugely problematic. With two, the only regular players remaining are Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, and Troy Stecher.

If Toronto doesn’t figure out how to find reinforcements that can play meaningful minutes, the team could nosedive down the standings.

One fan reacted to Johnston’s report and posted, “Sometimes you just have to wave the white flag. If both guys are going to be out for a significant stretch, on top of Tanev being sidelined, that’s too much for this team to overcome, especially in such a competitive division. Take the L and start flipping some pieces for assets.”

Another wrote, “Not only are the Maple Leafs now going to be forced to sell, but they can’t even sell some of their best assets in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Carlo because they are injured.”

If Toronto is going to add ahead of the deadline, names like Luke Schenn, Dougie Hamilton, and Brandon Montour have been loosely linked in trade discussions. It’s unclear whether Brad Treliving has spoken with any of those players about their respective GMs. If not, time appears to be running out for the Leafs to make a move.

The only good news is that the Olympic break is coming up, and that gives the injured players a chance to heal up and potentially return before too many man games are missed.

Some fans believe the season is over and that luck is just not on the Maple Leafs’ side. They argue the organization should take its lumps, sell pieces, and get the best draft pick possible. Is that where the team is at now?

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