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The Maple Leafs Can’t Use the Olympics as Excuse

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 9:29 AM ET

The Olympic break is the latest thing being floated as a potential turning point for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Too many games. Too much travel. Too much disruption. It’s familiar territory — when the results lag, the search for outside explanations ramps up.

The problem is, none of it really holds up. If this season goes off the rails late, it won’t be because of the Olympics. It’ll be because the Maple Leafs showed us exactly who they were long before that.

Here are three reasons the excuse doesn’t work.

Reason 1: Other Teams Are Carrying a Much Bigger Olympic Load

Let’s start with the obvious. Boston is sending seven players to the Olympics. Colorado has eight. Florida and New Jersey each have eight as well. Minnesota has nine. Tampa is sending ten — nearly half their roster.

Those teams aren’t just losing their best players for two weeks. They’re losing core pieces. They’ll be dealing with jet lag, emotional fatigue, and the intensity of meaningful international games.

Only three Maple Leafs players are going: Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. No goalie, no extra roster players, no real disruption. If Olympic fatigue ends up mattering, the Maple Leafs won’t be the team hurt most by it.

Reason 2: The Maple Leafs’ Damage Was Done Before the Break

This didn’t fall apart because of some brutal stretch on the calendar. It fell apart because the Maple Leafs didn’t handle the games they needed to. A 6-6-3 record in the Atlantic isn’t bad luck — it’s inconsistency. They’ve been a little better against the rest of the East (15-11-5), but not nearly enough to hide the bigger issue.

But, just looking at the team’s losses, they have lost more games than they’ve won. That’s not bad luck or bad timing. That’s being second-best against the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference too often.

Reason 3: Toronto’s Problems Have Been Recurring

If this recent spate of bad play were a one-off, maybe the excuse would land better. But it’s the same list of problems that have shown up all season. These include inconsistent goaltending. Secondary scoring that goes cold for long stretches. Games where urgency feels optional. Nights where they look engaged, followed by stretches where they don’t.

Every team deals with injuries. Every team faces condensed schedules. Every team has to adapt. The good ones don’t need new explanations every month. That hasn’t been the Maple Leafs this season.

The Maple Leafs Are Where They Are Because They’ve Played Poorly

The Maple Leafs are where they are because of how they’ve played. Not because of the Olympics in Milan. Not because of time zones. And not because the calendar was unfair.

This team struggles to get ahead and hold it, or to come back once they fall behind. If they miss the playoffs or limp in and flop, there will be endless debate about the reasons — most of them obvious.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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