It’s a tough time to be a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This season was meant to be the dawn of a new era, one without Mitch Marner and one with Auston Matthews front and center.
Instead, Marner’s gone (and struggling a bit in Vegas), and Matthews’ season was brought to an unceremonious end after a hit from Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas. On Monday, March 30, the Leafs decided they had seen enough, promptly firing general manager Brad Treliving. Now, they approach a summer with even more questions than last year, particularly when it pertains to Matthews’ future with the franchise.
Maple Leafs Boss Keith Pelley Refuses to Divulge Details of Conversation With Auston Matthews
When it comes to players of Matthews’ stature, there’s bound to be speculation about their future when the season is a wreck. And right on cue, the rumor mill has been buzzing with Matthews’ name ever since the Leafs called time of death on their season.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment head honcho Keith Pelley was asked about the conversations with his franchise’s captain.
“Auston and I texted back and forth this morning, but I like to leave the conversations that happen with the players to the hockey operations people,” Pelley, ever the diplomat, told reporters.
Matthews has a full no-movement clause in his $53 million contract and carries a $13.25 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season, which means there are few options to explore a breakup if it comes to that in the summer. In his weekend 32 Thoughts column, insider Elliotte Friedman pointed out as much, writing, “I wouldn’t rush to assume anything about Auston Matthews’ intentions. There is much to play out before we get a true understanding of how he feels.”
Matthews, who underwent successful surgery on March 19, 2026, to repair a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in his left leg, is expected to recover in time for training camp next season.
But in the meantime, there’s still the little matter of where the Leafs are heading.
Pelley was borderline offended by the notion of tanking in order to retain their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. “We will not tank,” was the message from the MLSE boss.
Pelley also stressed the fact that Toronto is not looking at a full-blown rebuild, adding that the franchise has “foundational pieces in place.” Those pieces, of course, are Matthews, William Nylander, and, to a degree, Matthew Knies. Former captain John Tavares is also likely to stick around for the foreseeable future as the Leafs pick up the pieces in the summer.
For now, all attention will be focused on who takes over from Treliving. While Leafs fans were dreaming of bringing Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill to town, they moved quickly to tie Nill down for another couple of years through the 2027/28 season. This means the Leafs will either have to look inwards or conduct a thorough, full-scale search for a new general manager.
They will also have to make a decision on head coach Craig Berube’s future, especially with Bruce Cassidy now available to take over.
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