March 4, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save against the New Jersey Devils in the second period at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Image The Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers are set to drop out of the playoff race, and both teams could send some key players elsewhere at Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will attempt to end a five-game losing streak when they visit the Eastern Conference basement dwellers Rangers in their final game before the deadline on Thursday night.
After four straight seasons of at least 100 points, Toronto is trending toward missing the postseason for the first time since 2015-16. That season they selected Auston Matthews with the first overall pick.
The Maple Leafs are 0-3-2 in their last five games and 4-9-4 in their last 17 following a 10-game scoring streak (8-0-2) from Dec. 23 to January. 12.
Nearly two months after their scoring streak, the Maple Leafs are eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card spot, but also behind four other teams. On Wednesday, Toronto released unrestricted free agents Scott Laughton and Bobby McCann, along with defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, for roster management purposes ahead of a possible trade.
Without the trio, the Maple Leafs lost 4-3 in a shootout to the host New Jersey Devils, clinching the win. Matias Maccelli, William Nylander and Matthew Knies each scored a goal, but Toronto squandered three one-goal leads and was unable to secure the win when Nylander and Matthews were stopped in a penalty shootout.
“We’re not going to hang our heads down and feel defeated,” Knies said. “I think we’re still there. We still have a chance. So just keep believing and hope everything works out. But it feels crappy that we’re in this situation. But again, it’s up to the guys in this locker room to change course and get us back where we were.”
The Rangers traded Artemi Panarin and Carson Soucy before the Olympic break and could make more moves, most notably by trading Vincent Trocheck and possibly young players Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider.
As of Wednesday, there was no indication that either player would be sidelined due to roster management issues.
“We just have to focus on the game. That’s all we can do as a group. Losing players is business,” Lafrenière told reporters at practice Wednesday. “But if you’re in the lineup, you have to play.”
One Rangers player who will be missing is JT Miller, but he will not be eligible for roster management. Miller was placed on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in the third period of Monday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Rangers are heading into their second straight season in the playoffs with the second-lowest points tally in the NHL on Thursday. New York is 3-11-3 in its last 17 games since defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1 in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2.
The Rangers are playing their most intense game of the season, recording points in three consecutive games (1-0-2) for the first time since December 2-7, when they were 2-0-2. New York scored four goals in the third quarter and lost to Columbus despite overcoming a four-goal deficit.
Rookie Gabe Perreault scored twice and tied the score with 4:46 left and will be one of the young players the Rangers provide significant playing time in the final few weeks. Defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York.
–Field level media
