Chris Johnston

Who knows?

I think, crazy as it might sound, both ends are very much still open as possibilities.

And look, the Leafs have 11 games, including tonight, before the deadline.

There's a lot of time between now and March 6th, but there's not a lot more that the front office is really going to learn about this team before the big decisions need to be made.

You know, I think they're going to let this five-game stretch before the Olympics play out.

You know, barring something unexpected, I don't think they're going to make any moves in the near term before that period of time.

And then they're going to assess over the break, you know, what the best path forward is.

You know, let's look at both ends of what you're projecting there, Hayes.

Buying, I don't think, will ever be that aggressive.

That's just my feel.

I don't think we're going to see them, if it leans towards buying, do anything crazy.

I mean, we've been over this.

They don't have tons to buy with, and I think there is probably a little reticence about how much they can really do to this roster right now.

The selling end...

could go a little bit more dramatically.

They do have pending UFAs, but that's going to take them likely losing a bunch of these games between now and the deadline.

And so I really believe it could go both ways and they're just going to wait and see and make a call probably over that Olympic break and enact in the 10 or 11 days before the deadline afterwards.

Well, I'm sure he would share the disappointment of others, but I will say this.

My impression of Austin Matthews is, you know, I don't think they need to do anything and be really gentle around him.

Like, I think he's still very committed to being a Leaf.