Maple Leafs face biggest game of the season despite being eliminated.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially been eliminated from contention in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, but despite that the team is now facing what is arguably the most consequential game of the season.

On Saturday, the Maple Leafs will face off against the Los Angeles Kings with a lot riding on this game for both teams. In the case of the Kings, this is a must-win type of game with the Kings currently in a 3-way tie for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The Kings, San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators are all currently sitting at 79 points on the season making every game a must-win for the Kings down this final stretch.

The Maple Leafs, despite being the Kings opponents on Saturday night, actually have a vested interest in seeing the Kings make the playoffs, putting a very interesting spin on this contest. You see earlier in the season the Kings and Leafs made a trade, a trade that sent forward Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a conditional third round draft pick at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. That conditional third round pick becomes a second round pick if the Kings manage to squeeze in to the playoffs, something that would be a lot more likely if they earned 2 points over the Maple Leafs today.

This leaves the Maple Leafs in a very interesting situation with seemingly nothing to gain by winning, and everything to gain by losing today's game. Whether or not the players on the Maple Leafs roster, or head coach Craig Berube for that matter, will play accordingly however is another matter entirely.

Definitely keep a close eye on this one.