Max Domi, Anthony Stolarz, Simon Benoit reflect on trade deadline as losing streak continues: ‘Tough couple of days’
The first period saw the Maple Leafs fall behind 4-1, a mountain that was too tough for the club to overcome. The loss of the aforementioned players could have certainly played a role in the morale of the team being down.
“It’s been a tough couple of days when you lose a few guys like that,” Maple Leafs forward Max Domi said post-game. “When you lose three amazing human beings and great teammates like we did, it’s tough on the boys. But you got to find a way to be a pro, and I believe every single guy in here to do that, and we will.”
The Maple Leafs put themselves in the position to be sellers. Following Saturday night’s loss, the Maple record sits at 27-26-11, 10 points out of the playoffs in a crowded Eastern Conference. General manager Brad Treliving was forced to sell assets to recoup some draft capital for the upcoming selections, leaving the potential room for younger players to get more usage at the National Hockey League level.
“I’ve been a part of teams that have sold, and you know it’s part of the business,” Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz said following the 5-2 loss. “Obviously, we lost three outstanding human beings and great guys that work hard and were a big part of our group. But at the same time, it’s an opportunity for someone else to step in and claim a role, whether it’s for this season or next.”
Many Maple Leafs players popped up in trade rumours over the past few weeks, one being defenceman Simon Benoit, who remains under contract until the completion of next season at $1.35 million. Tied for the team lead in hits with 151, Benoit touched on how this year’s trade deadline felt, as a player who could be potentially moved.
“This was the first year I was actually involved,” Benoit said to the media. “I don’t have any trade clauses or anything, so it’s just part of the game. Nothing I could do about it, I haven’t really thought about it too much.”
With 18 games remaining until the 2025-26 season wraps up for the Maple Leafs, the final two months remain a time for the team to show that there is still fight and pride within the club’s dressing room.
“We’re just going to try and find our game and play a complete 60-minutes,” Stolarz said. “We have stretches where we do play really well, and then there’s a couple times where we let it get away from us. We got 18 games left here, we got to battle and work through this.”
The Maple Leafs return to action on Tuesday night when they travel to Montreal to take on the Canadiens.