February 25, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevsky (88) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (88) in the second quarter at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night in a clash of teams that have struggled since the Olympic break and entered the trade market on Friday.
The Maple Leafs were more active. They traded forward Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken at Friday’s trade deadline for a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick. McMann recorded 19 goals and 13 assists for Toronto this season.
The Maple Leafs also traded Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 third-rounder. Lawton appeared in 43 games for Toronto this season, scoring eight goals and four assists.
The Lightning acquired forward Corey Perry from the Kings Friday for a 2028 second-round draft pick. Perry, 40, previously played for the Lightning for two seasons, including the team’s run to the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals.
“Corey is a winner with a proven track record in the playoffs,” said Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois. “He’s going to bring a roar to our group. He’s going to give our bottom six extra scoring ability. With Corey Perry, it’s not just all about production, it’s also about the leadership he brings to our group and the influence he has on other players.”
Perry has 11 goals and 17 assists for the Kings this season.
“I have unfinished business, both personally and with Tampa,” Perry said. “I’m excited to join the organization again and see some familiar faces.”
The Maple Leafs lost 6-2 to the New York Rangers on Thursday, leaving their playoff hopes distant at 0-4-2 after the break.
“I will take responsibility for our season,” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said. “I don’t look at today (Friday) as an autopsy day. I think there are a lot of reasons, even though we have 19 games left.”
The Maple Leafs sat out McMann, Laughton and Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the second time in a row on Thursday with a potential trade in mind. This trade gave the Maple Leafs an opportunity to bolster their draft selections.
“We decided to be as proactive as possible in trying to recoup some of our assets, whether picks or prospects, before the break,” Treliving said.
The Lightning came back from the break with a 4-2 home win over the Maple Leafs, but have since dropped four straight. Most recently, they lost 4-1 to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. The Lightning are tied on points with Buffalo in the Atlantic Division but remain in first place with two games remaining.
“We’ll be fine, we’ve got a great group there,” Lightning coach John Cooper said. “Sometimes the final evaluation is based on wins and losses, but now we are seeing a decline after the break.”
On Thursday, Toronto traded Nicholas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for first- and fifth-round draft picks.
“This is all difficult,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “This is a guy we brought in and he’s played pretty well for us. It’s hard to see him go, but that’s the situation we’re in.”
Roy appeared in 59 games for Toronto, scoring 5 goals and 15 assists. He was acquired in the sign-and-trade deal that sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Vancouver Canucks claimed Curtis Douglas off waivers from the Lightning on Friday.
Toronto’s Auston Matthews hasn’t scored in 10 games.
–Field level media
