The Maple Leafs have loads of reasons to be active on the trade market — even if they drop out of the playoff race

NASHVILLE—Are the Maple Leafs a playoff team? Are they not?

That’s what they’re trying to figure out as the NHL’s next big date looms: the trade deadline on Feb. 24.

“We know what our reality is, and the importance of each and every game,” Leafs captain John Tavares said before Monday night’s game against the Predators. “With where we sit, where things are at and the teams that we’re battling with — they’re playing really good hockey, finding their game and keep getting results.

“So it’s not going to get any easier … Each and every point in every game matters. It’s going to be a battle right to the end.”

The Leafs aren’t alone in trying to figure out their playoff chances. About a dozen general managers could go either way when it comes to buying or selling at the deadline. Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary are in a tight race with the five top teams in the Pacific just a point apart after the all-star break. Winnipeg is in the thick of the wild-card hunt. It could either way for any of them.

Only Ottawa knows for sure it won’t make the playoffs and can start lining up buyers for players such as forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin can play it both ways, after signing free-agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk for close to the minimum in a bid to spark his team back into the Eastern Conference race. If it doesn’t work out, Kovalchuk — with eight points in his first eight games with the Habs — instantly becomes a valuable trade chip.

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas ought to be thinking the same way.

If his forwards can stay healthy – and yes, that seems to be a big ask this season — it will give Dubas some bits and pieces he can move, forward Dmytro Timashov chief among them, to bolster the team’s playoff chances. Timashov’s skill set is higher than the average fourth-line winger, yet that seems to be his only role on this team. If moving salary is a priority, then maybe forwards Andreas Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen could be moved. With the success of Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall, it’s clear the Leafs have cheaper options at the wing who are just as good.

The Leafs’ defence could certainly use shoring up, as well as their goaltending depth. The Philadelphia Flyers are said to be shopping defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere, currently recovering from knee surgery, and are looking for a forward back. The Los Angeles Kings, meanwhile, are interested in moving defenceman Alec Martinez, who shoots right-handed and is signed through next season. That idea intrigued Martinez’s former playing partner, Leafs blue-liner Jake Muzzin.

“Great defender,” said Muzzin. “I know him well. Played with him for a long time.”

Other defencemen believed to interest the Leafs include T.J. Brodie of the Calgary Flames and Adam Larsson of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Wings will probably try to move their pending unrestricted free agents, including blue-liners Mike Green and Jonathan Ericsson.

A backup goalie upgrade over Michael Hutchinson is probably the priority for the Leafs, though, with the New York Rangers’ Alexandar Georgiev mentioned most frequently. The ask from the Rangers has been prohibitively high — Kapanen, according to various reports.

The Rangers may not be too keen to move Georgiev, either. They’re high on 24-year-old Igor Shesterkin as their goalie of the future, but they’d still need a backup and there may be concerns about how much 37-year-old Henrik Lundqvist has left in the tank.

The Wings’ Jimmy Howard might also be available, but Detroit would probably have to retain some of his $5.5-million (U.S.) salary.

The possibility remains that the Leafs could be sellers by late February. If they’re hit by more injuries and don’t get things figured out defensively, Dubas would have to look at his roster in a completely different way. A defenceman such as Martinez could still be a target — but more for next year.

In that scenario, those Leafs heading for free agency, such as defencemen Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci, ought to be moved for prospects and draft picks.

“The goal is to put yourself in a position where the team wants to add and they think they have a shot,” said Barrie. “So that’s our goal in here: Play a great month of hockey and be in a position where we know we’re not subtracting.”

At 36, centre Jason Spezza might prefer to play for a contender if the Leafs fall out of the race — although he says he’s not thinking about trades.

“We’d like to start winning games again and be our own group,” said Spezza. “We feel like we have a good enough group in here that we don’t need the trade deadline too much. So no, Kyle (Dubas) will do what he has to do to get whatever he thinks we need.”

AROUND HOCKEY

As the all-star break ended, the Vancouver Canucks (27-18-4, 58 points) occupied first place in the Pacific Division, where the top five teams were separated by just one point. It’s the first time in the expansion era (since 1967-68) that the top five in any division had been that close past the halfway mark of the season. Three of them — Vancouver, Edmonton and Arizona — are looking to make the post-season after falling short for the last two seasons or more. “The playoffs start now,” Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk told reporters at the all-star break. “For everyone to say, ‘You know, we want to be peaking when it comes to playoffs,’ well, you better hope you’re peaking now because you want to get in.”