from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

No one will come out and say it out loud: That the tear-down of the Maple Leafs is about to begin.

That for the first time in the modern history of the club, the Leafs are headed to a bare-bones, strip-the-engine, long-term rebuild.

The expectation from inside Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is that the Leafs will make at least five deals between now and the NHL trade deadline of March 2 and that the larger, maybe more controversial moves — in what could be a four- or five-year project — will be considered and worked through after the season has ended.

Almost every player on the roster is considered to be in play for the Leafs and the rest of the NHL. According to a variety of sources, teams in the hotly contested Western Conference are expected to be the most active at the deadline, with so much at stake come the post-season.

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