Maccelli emerging, Stolarz speculation, and a Jets trade target: Leaflets

Don’t look now, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are one game away from sitting in a playoff spot. And while entering a wildcard spot past game 40 is a much lower bar than the expectations often associated with this team, it does allow the “built for the playoffs not the regular season” narrative about the Leafs to take hold once again.

We’ll see if Saturday night against the Canucks is the magic moment where the Leafs are back on track and with a tough Western road trip next week, the real test for the Maple Leafs will be in they can hang onto the momentum they’ve built on this 6-0-2 post Marc Savard run.

Here are some other stray thoughts about the Maple Leafs…

Maccelli is the boss

Boss is a stretch, but picking up seven points in his last ten games is a nice recovery from a ten game stretch in the press box.

Maccelli is looking like a fit for the second line, he’s helping the Leafs get over the absence of William Nylander in the lineup and he’s playing an important part of the power play resurgence by bringing something new to the group.

In the short term, the Leafs need this from Maccelli and as a 25 year old, Maccelli along with Knies, Robertson, and Cowan represents an encouraging youthful push in the forward group.

Maccelli has remained attached to the rumour mill and as an offensively capable pending (RFA) free agent, there will potentially be interest in Maccelli as the deadline nears and depending where the Leafs are in the standings at the moment and the depending on the interest in other players it is possible that Maccelli could be made available.

It’s also entirely possible that the Leafs feel his play on the defensive side of the puck still leaves far too much to be desired and the club might be ready to move on from him or that his qualifying offer would simply be more than they’d be looking to spend.

Maccelli, Robertson, and to some extent, Bobby McMann (although McMann is older) are all in the same boat regarding the deadline and depth.

A commitment to a youth movement in Toronto might be nice but a bit more consistency from Maccelli will likely be required before March to keep Maccelli in Toronto long term.

The Perfetti fit for the Maple Leafs

On one hand, I’ve just mentioned the concerns about consistency from Matias Maccelli the above section and now here I am in this section making a case for a struggling Winnipeg Jet who comes with similar issues to what the Leafs already have with Maccelli and Nick Robertson.

That said, Cole Perfetti is a player I feel the Leafs should have a bit of interest in assuming the Winnipeg Jets make him available between now and the trade deadline.

He’s certainly better than being a nine point in 28 game player and his 18-goal, 50-point season last year is a better window into his potential and could make him a potential target for the Leafs second line, if not potentially also being worth an audition on the Matthews and Knies line.

Perfetti had just under 20 goals in his two previous seasons. He still requires some sheltering and his minutes are limited as a result, but encouragingly, most of Perfetti’s offence has come at even strength.

Perfetti more than anyone on the Jets has been impacted by the departure of Nik Ehlers. A linemate that worked well with Perfetti has been replaced with the husk of Jonathan Toews on his line with Namestnikov. His on-ice shooting percentage has tanked and Perfetti has proven he’s not “the guy” to carry the line.

That might not seem like a glowing endorsement of Perfetti but given that the Leafs have space on the Matthews line and given Perfetti’s success with Ehlers there is a good chance that he’d mesh with Nylander, he’s an interesting player to target and one that would help the Leafs get younger and bring in some offensive potential.

Given that no one is talking about Perfetti being available at this point, this is very much a case of “here’s a guy” and guessing what the Jets would want as a return is beyond the usual futures or someone that is under contract for next season and can play alongside whatever high pick prospect they’ll receive in this year’s draft. Given that the Jets, like the Leafs, need to consider some youthful options alongside their veterans.

I’ll admit moving on from Perfetti before seeing what he can do in 2026-27 isn’t likely unless someone makes one hell of an offer and arguably that shouldn’t come from the Leafs, even if I do like the player and situation.

Shopping Stolarz

Speaking of names being thrown out there to see if anything sticks, Nick Kypreos recently floated the idea of the Leafs making Anthony Stolarz available when he returns.

The Leafs getting NHL calibre netminding out of Dennis Hildeby has certainly made that talk possible and with the number of other of issues on the Leafs, dealing some goaltending depth to secure other assets might be necessary for a team short on futures.

The biggest catch with talking about moving Stolarz is that the Leafs, with their goaltending health issues, are a team that needs to consider being three good goalies deep to get by. There isn’t a workhorse and moving a netminder would at the very least involve a level of comfort in using Artur Akhtyamov at some point or bringing in someone at the AHL depth level.

For a deal to be worthwhile for the Maple Leafs would need to be overpaid on the return.