The facts on Auston Matthews at the moment are that his stock seems to be at an all-time low. He’s gone from 69 goals to 33 goals to just 27 in his now injury shortened season that included a his career longest goal drought of 12 games. That’s pretty much the opposite of nice and doesn’t bode well when you factor in chronic wrist and back injury concerns as well. While no one wanted to see Auston’s season cut short, Matthews visiting the White House certainly didn’t earn him much love from Maple Leaf fans, his captaincy never resulted in the Leafs taking a step forward, and the “C” seemed more like a weight on his chest than a decision made to the right person in the role.
It’s easy to establish why the Maple Leafs want to keep Auston but it’s harder to say that Auston wants to remain a Leaf. For starters, he went with shorter term on his last contract. This was likely a smart play from a money perspective, but it also opens the door for Auston to see if there are more competitive opportunities out there and additionally there are opportunities for him to become an absolute American superstar.
Being the captain of the first US Men’s Hockey Team to win gold since the Miracle on Ice isn’t nothing. And even if that was lost on Auston, the owners of American franchises likely see the potential in bringing potentially the best statistical American hockey player in history home. The Rangers rebuilding/retooling right now is convenient, the emergence of the Sharks and Ducks are timely, and the Kings signing Artemi Panarin to a deal that expires at the exact same time that Matthews will hit free agency might just be a coincidence, but certainly points to Los Angeles being players for Matthews in free agency if he so desired.
If Matthews is looking to move on, now is the time to accommodate that. The Leafs are in a situation where they are looking to get back into the playoffs and pretending Toronto will be a contender in 2026-27 is a stretch. If Matthews doesn’t want to burn a year of his prime waiting to find out if the Maple Leafs can get back on track or not, that’s something he needs to express. If his plan is to be on an American team in 2028-29, the Maple Leafs should be eager to aide him in doing that sooner while they still have some opportunity to leverage a meaningful return for him. Matthews might feel he’s accomplished all he can as a Maple Leaf and parting on good terms should be important to the organization and Matthews.
Of course, Matthews might not yet know what he wants. He might want to see what 2026-27 brings for the Maple Leafs and who he will be working with. There is no rush and there is no 11th hour aspect to anything this summer or even through next season, but things are very different come 2027 when Matthews holds even more cards.
While this might sound defeatist and assume heavily that Matthews is leaving in 2028, it’s not meant to be. The Maple Leafs might be the best path forward and Matthews might truly want to be a Leaf for life. And if not, the same way that there will be no shortage of American teams lining up for Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs could be equally enthused to try and bring Connor McDavid home. That might either offer incentive for Matthews to stay or present a welcome upgrade opportunity for the Leafs.
This is probably the most divided Maple Leafs have been on Auston Matthews since his arrival when he was largely heralded as the franchise’s saviour (in hindsight that was probably too much pressure), and while there are a lot of assumptions out there about his leadership ability, his playoff effort, and what his future plans are, he is still unquestionably someone who is delivering results at the level of a first line centre and moving on from him would create a devastating hole in the Maple Leafs lineup.
Knowing is half the battle and if the Maple Leafs know what Auston Matthews wants long term, that should be part of their offseason plan, either to build something in Toronto around him and to maximize what they can do in an exit strategy. Waiting on Marner has now been proven to damage the Maple Leafs and with Matthews there would be a far worse impact in mismanaging the situation.
PRESENTED BY SUNWING VACATIONS
Sunwing Vacations helps Canadians save more so they can do more on and off the resort, with all inclusive packages that bundle flights, hotels and transfers into one easy price, including added perks such as complimentary airport transfers. With a wide assortment of all inclusive packages to dozens of sun destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, Sunwing makes getaways simple so you can focus on enjoying the resort and exploring beyond it. For more information and to book, check out Sunwing.ca