Toronto Maple Leafs captain and franchise face Auston Matthews was non-committal when asked about his future in Toronto at the team’s exit day, relays The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke.
Matthews, responding to questions about his willingness to remain in Toronto for the long haul, told the media “I can’t predict the future, obviously there are steps that have to take place. [team ownership] have to hire new leadership and management. So I don’t really know.”
The news comes at the end of a nightmarish season for the Maple Leafs, one that raised questions about Matthews’ willingness to play out the final two years of his $13.25MM AAV contract in Toronto. Matthews’ season was cut short after a hit from Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas left him with an MCL injury. Gudas was eventually suspended for the hit.
The 28-year-old has long been considered one of the league’s best players, and he is arguably the NHL’s most talented goal scorer.
Matthews set a career-high of 69 goals in 2023-24 and also scored 60 goals in 2021-22, the year he won the Hart Trophy.
But while individual accolades have not been difficult for Matthews to come by – he is a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner as well – team success has been more scarce.
While Matthews has made the playoffs every year except 2025-26, he has made it past the first round of the postseason just twice, and never past the second round. With just two years remaining on his contract, it’s likely Matthews has, or will, ask himself the question of whether he believes he can still win a Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs. As he mentioned, that’s a difficult question to answer without knowing who will be in charge of the Maple Leafs’ hockey operations department.
But regardless of which individual takes control of hockey ops in Toronto, there are still, unfortunately, ample reasons for Matthews to take a more pessimistic view of Toronto’s short-term competitive hopes. While last season’s trade for Brandon Carlo added a capable veteran defenseman to the Maple Leafs’ lineup, it deprived the club of two of its more valuable future assets: young center Fraser Minten, as well as the team’s 2026 first-round pick. Toronto only retains its first-rounder this year if it lands in the top-five, and Toronto sits No. 5 in the draft lottery order.
With a top-five pick at their disposal, the Maple Leafs would have an immensely valuable trade chip they could use to significantly bolster their roster for next season. Conversely, if the Maple Leafs drop one spot in the order, they will hand a division rival a hugely valuable No. 6 overall selection. It’s not unreasonable to believe that the lottery could have a big impact on Matthews’ thinking regarding his own future.
In any case, there is a sentimental factor to consider when assessing Matthews’ future with the Maple Leafs. While this is not something that matters to every player, it’s worth noting that Matthews is 207 points behind Mats Sundin as Toronto’s all-time leading scorer. For someone that has already built a considerable legacy in one of the game’s biggest markets, the pull of passing Sundin could be a factor in keeping Matthews in Toronto through the end of his current deal.
From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, Matthews’ decision on his future is likely to singularly shape the team’s competitive direction. Matthews’ deal contains a full no-move clause, meaning he controls his future to an absolute degree. NHL history is littered with examples of teams being forced into sub-optimal trade returns for star players simply because those stars decide they only want to be traded to one team. That’s exactly what happened with the New York Rangers’ trade of star Artemi Panarin earlier this year, or the 2021 trade of Taylor Hall to the Bruins from the Buffalo Sabres.
These are interesting times in Toronto, first and foremost because the team’s next GM is in the process of being selected. But beyond just management changes, there could be significant on-ice changes on the horizon as well, and it all starts with a decision – either to stay, or to consider paths to exit – from the team’s captain.
Photos courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
If I’m Toronto’s management, I’m trading Matthews for a huge return of Top Six / Top Four players and futures. I don’t see a future with their current prospects.
@pyramid. Agreed. Utah with his buddy Keller would be good. Many young assets to get back. We won’t get Iginla for sure but maybe Simashev, Gabe Smith, a 1st, McBain, Hayton and Beaudoin gets Toronto’s attention? I’d look to Anaheim too for McTavish, McQueen and a 1st
Mammoth won’t hang up on Iginla. It’d be Cooley.
@spaced. If Iginla is in play I’d have to seriously consider it. Knies is good buddies with Cooley. Maybe a massive trade of AM and Knies to Utah? Haha.
Maybe just Knies for Iginla maybe. I’m always happy to see childhood friends play hockey w one another.
I predict Auston Matthews will be traded this summer to a U.S. team, West of the Mississippi river.
I think he would stay east, but I agree he’s likely gonna want to play in U.S. I think the Flyers is a possibility.
@James. Flyers make sense but not sure he’d want to go there. I think the west coast or a team like NYR if he stays in the east. If flyers put Martone on the table I’d drive AM to the airport myself.
I hear ya on Martone. I had him in my offer a month ago with two 1sts (one being the leafs 2027)- that deal is officially off the table. 😂
Not sure if he would want to be here either, but they do have a lot of assets and after a deal there would still be a very solid team with AM included.
@James. Problem with a Flyers deal is the leafs would need a C back and unless they want Cates who’s more a 3rd liner I think it’s tough. Maybe a Tippett, Nesbit, 1st and Cates? Hopefully with Tippett they could flip Nylander for a C? I think NYI make sense for Willy as he’d play with Horvat who’ll cover his lack of defensive play. Maybe Barzal and a 1st? Barzal and Aitcheson?
i highly doubt the Rags because of their current situation, Minnesota makes sense, Chicago, San Jose, Anaheim, and potentially Utah. He is from California, why i say Minnesota is because despite Kaprizov’s insane overpay starting next year they can still afford him and Toronto has desperately needed a legit top goalie which Minnesota has Wallstedt or Gustavsson that could be in a deal, Chicago is adding another top player (Star or Elite) in the draft or making the pick available for trade if they dont win a lottery pick plus having young good prospects who will be NHL ready as soon as next season or with experience already, William Nylander is also a name to keep an eye on as he could be the next guy Leafs fans run out of town like Marner
@Rick. Minny would be a good spot for him but I think the leafs want young players and picks if they trade him. Wall is great goalie but that’s not the Leafs main need as the have Woll, Hillseby, and Ark in the minors. Leafs would probably ask for Ek plus Jesper plus more for AM. As for Chicago the fit on paper would be great but Connor is your #1 C and I doubt they want to pay AM that much to be their #2 C. I’d love Frondell, a 1st this year and Rinzell as. A starting point. I think WN makes more sense for the Hawks but Leafs won’t get that package for him. IF he goes I think Utah or LA make most likely spots.
Also Willy is a great player but his heads not on right. He’s also a #2 option on a top team and he needs to learn to play with more heart. At 28 I doubt he learns now. Cheers.
Grapes is your best friend A mirror Billy G Will make a push for Matthews prediction from me
This reeks of a Drury pursuit.
Auston Matthews should get the hell out of Toronto. The fans & media there don’t appreciate him and booed him when he got back from the Olympics for winning gold. Matthews should get traded to a U.S. team. Matthews lives out west during the offseason and his family primarily lives out west as well.
I could see two particular teams like the Los Angeles Kings and the Utah Mammoth make strong pushes for him. I could also see the Minnesota Wild make a push as well as GM. Bill Guerin has a good relationship with Matthews (& according to reports Minnesota is keeping an eye on the situation).
especially if Minnesota runs Wallstedt over Gustavsson throughout the whole postseason, Gustavsson is an Elite goalie and Toronto has desperately needed one for many years now so it makes a ton of sense, Chicago makes a lot of sense as well given they have a lot of assets to make that trade while still having a top farm system after such a trade, currently ranked #1 prospect pool
The pick will have no bearing on Matthews’ decision. A 6th would normally make the team as a regular after Matthews contract expires, and become a factor years after that. Matthews is not going to wait for all that. I don’t believe he even cares.
He sounds fed up with all things Toronto.
How about Matthews to Detroit? This could be the time for Yzerman to weaponize the cap space he has kept unused. It would go some way to resolve their issues with scoring.
The tricky part in any team trading for Matthews right now is that they can’t sign him to an extension until at least a year from now. They could get a verbal commitment, but that is always an iffy thing.
That was a laborious read… why use 3 words when you can use 10 :-/
Not many teams on Matthews timeline have the futures stocked. It needs to be a team firmly exiting a rebuild that has gone well. Then he’d need to want to go. It’d be a short list.
Auston to the Caps for their two 1st rounders, Cristall, and one of their 1st round C prospects. Auston gets to play with Ovi for a year, wear an A in a quieter market, and take a team with legit young talent over the hump.
Anyone suggesting he would be traded to an Eastern Conference team, should reexamine the Leafs needs.
We would want a centre that is considerably younger but already considered a top 6. Then right handed defense, then a goalie. We can rule out all Canadian teams barring a random AM/McDavid pipedream. Starting at the bottom, we have the Rangers who I do actually feel line up well with certain assets like Laff and Fox but it’s unlikely that the latter would waive his NMC. Panthers, although have one of the more creative GMs in recent years, don’t really have a need or assets. Devils dont need a centre, so I dont see a fit. Ditto the Islanders. Red Wings could be desperate after missing out on the playoffs, and could be a team to watch. Same could be said about Columbus if they could swallow moving Fantilli. I’d wager he would prefer to move to a warmer climate/or get further away from Toronto if he has his way. So I don’t imagine him wanting to play in Ohio, Michigan… Or even Buffalo unless there was a legitimate chance to win the Cup. Jury is out on the Sabres, but the other teams are not contenders. Capitals may want to entice Ovie to come back but I don’t feel they have the pieces to make it work right now, but can’t be overlooked. Philly has some pieces but I don’t know if he’d want to play for Tocchet if hes not responding well to a coach like Berube. The pieces are arguably there, but those players have already shown promise, and Philly may be reluctant to part with them. Pittsburgh doesn’t have room for AM. I don’t see them moving Crosby or Geno anytime soon. I won’t even mention the Bruins for obvious reasons. Leaving the Lightning and Canes. I don’t think there’s a need or fit for either, but both teams have made shrewd moves in the past.
Not let’s consider that AM, more than likely would prefer to play out West, and the team is better off trading him out West; then none of my write up matters :)
Utah, Seattle, Ducks, Sharks, Kings, Wild, and many other Western teams line up well with us.
No one is parting with assets, and taking on that cap hit, until they see how he performs after the knee injury. Matthews has not been the same player since the “upper body” (back?) injury in ’24-25 season. If you look at the career arcs of the inner circle HoF forwards, many of them peaked around age 25-26, and declined from there. Matthews will be 29 around the time ’26-27 training camps open.
Matthews is going west.
There is no doubt in my mind.
The front runners
Los Angeles (not enough prospects)
Vegas (no cap space, what prospects)
San Jose (not ready for this big of a move but has the assets)
Utah (just no)
Colorado (To much talent at center)
Dallas (not quite enough of each asset needed)
Also the eventually the winner. Anaheim
They have a stacked prospect pool, cap space and young players in the NHL already. No media and Finally a fan base that is not borderline insane