In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the latest on Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and Stars winger Jason Robertson, and some suggested targets for the Jets.
THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston believes the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the clock with team captain Auston Matthews. The 28-year-old superstar center has two years left on his contract, but league sources say he still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in the fall.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
Matthews has reasonable concerns over the Maple Leafs’ direction under new general manager John Chayka. The two are expected to meet within the next two weeks. Chayka said he’s not putting a deadline on the Leafs captain regarding his own intentions.
Johnston believes Matthews wants to see a roster meaningfully upgraded by trades and free-agent signings. Keeping the high-scoring center in the fold will be critical to the club’s plans to retool the roster rather than a full-fledged rebuild.
As great a player as Matthews is, the Maple Leafs won’t get full value for him in a trade. Johnston believes the best-case scenario would be a return comparable to the package of future assets the Vancouver Canucks received from the Minnesota Wild for Quinn Hughes last December.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chayka faces a daunting task attempting to retool the Leafs this summer. Selling Matthews on his plans could be his biggest challenge.
If Chayka fails, he’ll have to peddle Matthews for the best return he can find, which won’t be easy given the latter’s no-movement clause.
Matthews will waive his clause if he wants out, but he will likely only have a handful of preferred destinations. The fewer he has, the harder it would be for Chayka to land a quality return.
Convincing Matthews to stay will be a far better option for Chayka than trying to move him for a return that won’t come close to being fair market value.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Lia Assimakopoulos reports Jason Robertson left a bit of uncertainty about his future with the Stars during his end-of-season media availability on Monday.
The 26-year-old left winger is due to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after completing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million. He’s also a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility unless he signs a long-term deal.
Robertson acknowledged that it’s a business on both sides, but he’s optimistic. “It’s a business,” Robertson said. “I learned that four years ago. It’s not my first time.”
Assimakopoulos believes Robertson is due for a significant pay raise. She speculated he could seek an extension similar to teammate Mikko Rantanen’s eight-year deal worth $12 million annually.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson lacked arbitration rights after completing his entry-level contract four years ago, giving Stars management the leverage in those negotiations. It’s a different story this time.
A lack of salary cap space further complicates things for the Stars, prompting speculation that they’ll shed salary to free up sufficient cap space to re-sign Robertson.
The Stars could peddle Robertson rather than making a cost-cutting trade or two that might weaken their roster depth. However, they would have difficulty replacing the offense he brings to their lineup.
THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently looked at several types of players the Winnipeg Jets could target to upgrade their defense this summer.
One option could be free agency if they want to add a big, physical defenseman. Ates suggested e Carson Soucy, Andrew Peeke, and Connor Murphy as possible targets.
Another could be targeting a young RFA-eligible defenseman capable of more, such as Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils or Pavel Mintyukov of the Anaheim Ducks.