Trade Notes: Larkin, Matthews, Werenski
Pierre LeBrun checked in on Wednesday with a batch of trade updates, headlined by the ever-evolving Dylan Larkin situation in Detroit. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has gone back to agent Pat Brisson to expand Larkin’s original three-team list: the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers, and Brisson was at least somewhat receptive, meaning the pool of potential suitors is no longer confined to those three. By all accounts, Yzerman has seemingly handled the request without rancor, staying in steady contact with Brisson as the two sides work toward a resolution.
Beyond the formal list, plenty of other clubs have called to gauge the situation, giving Larkin’s camp more to weigh. The Dallas Stars are among those that have checked in, a dynamic worth watching given that they’ve yet to extend restricted free agent Jason Robertson. There’s also the possibility of a third team entering any deal to make the assets work for Detroit; a scenario that could be especially relevant with Minnesota, which may not have the pieces the Red Wings would want on their own. Larkin’s appeal is obvious: the 29-year-old captain just posted 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games, his fifth straight season with at least 30 goals, and carries five more years at an $8.7MM cap hit, making him both a premium asset and a complicated one to move. With his market in flux, Pro Hockey Rumors is asking readers to weigh in on where Larkin ultimately lands. Cast your vote.
Additional Notes:
- All signs are pointing to Auston Matthews returning to Toronto next season. Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver hasn’t formally told the Leafs as much, but talks with newly hired GM John Chayka have been cordial, and there’s a growing comfort level with the direction of things. Matthews managed just 27 goals and 53 points in an injury-wrecked campaign that ended with season-ending knee surgery, well off his usual standard, as Toronto missed the playoffs and finished last in the Atlantic. If his return to Toronto becomes official, it figures to disappoint a list of suitors that had been monitoring the situation surrounding the three-time Rocket Richard winner.
- Despite speculation linking Zach Werenski to a move in the wake of Larkin’s request, as the two are close friends and Team USA gold medalists, no such request has been communicated to the Blue Jackets. The timing of the chatter is notable given the year he just had. Werenski won his first Norris Trophy after recording 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games while logging the NHL’s second-most ice time at 26:37 per game. He has two years left on his deal, though a conversation about his long-term future in Columbus will come at some point.
Maple Leafs Notes: Matthews, Halpern, McKenna
Maple Leafs GM John Chayka met with reporters today at the NHL Combine (video link). Among the topics discussed was the future of Auston Matthews amid speculation that he might not be ready to commit to signing another deal with the franchise. As expected, Chayka certainly tried to downplay that speculation, suggesting that things are promising on that front:
We’ve had several conversations with him and his representatives. What I saw was a happy captain. Someone who’s got a lot of pride to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Someone who wants to win in Toronto, which aligns with how we’re thinking about it.
Matthews has two seasons remaining on his contract, one that briefly was an NHL record in terms of AAV at $13.25MM (and has since been surpassed multiple times). The captain has seen his production drop in each of the last two years after a career-best 69 goals and 107 points. This season, he had just 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games, the lowest goal and assist totals of his 10-year NHL career.
More from Toronto:
- During his presser today, Chayka indicated that he spoke to many candidates with only some moving on to the next stage. One who won’t be doing so is Jeff Halpern. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Halpern did interview with the Maple Leafs for the role but isn’t moving to the next stage. Halpern has been coaching in Tampa Bay’s organization since 2015-16, spending three seasons as an AHL assistant and has been up with the Lightning as an assistant with them since 2018-19.
- Chayka also noted that, as things stand, the likeliest outcome is that Toronto holds and uses the number one selection this month which should come as little surprise. One of the likely players to be selected there is Penn State forward Gavin McKenna. He met with reporters today, including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, and indicated that he’d feel “pretty fortunate” to go there, given that they’re a team that’s likely eyeing a return to the playoffs next season, an outcome that most top picks don’t get to see. McKenna and Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg are viewed as the two likeliest options to go first overall on June 26th.
Evening Notes: Sharks, Matthews, Klapka
After jumping into the second overall selection from last week’s draft lottery, the San Jose Sharks may capitalize on their luck by entertaining trade offers, outlined by The Fourth Period this morning.
With Toronto winning big last Tuesday, dominating many of the headlines, somewhat cast aside was the Sharks moving up seven spots to #2. Picking in the top five in each of the last three years, including second overall last summer (Michael Misa), the difference now is San Jose hardly needs another young forward in their pipeline, suddenly in win-now mode and past rebuild status. With Ivar Stenberg the clear cut second best player overall, defensemen such as Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff could be more attractive based on needs, but a reach at second overall from a value perspective.
2026 draftees aside, the Sharks netted an asset which would land a haul of NHL-ready talent, especially on the back-end, from any team looking to move up and select Stenberg. Known to be seeking upgrades on the blueline this summer, there’s perhaps no better trade chip than the one they hadn’t even expected to be holding today. As mentioned in the article above, GM Mike Grier also shopped his top pick last year, not ending up dealing it. If that proves to be the case again, rivals may be forced to prepare to deal with Stenberg, as part of a downright scary forward group in years to come.
Elsewhere across the league:
- In Friday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet speculated that Auston Matthews may wait until later in the summer to decide on his future, but from Toronto’s behalf, they simply can’t wait that long to get “an idea”. Last week it was apparent that the new John Chayka regime had work to do to impress Matthews and ease his concerns on the team’s contention chances in the future. Winning the 2026 draft’s top selection is as good of a start as they could have hoped, but as Friedman notes, there’s still plenty more to be done with trades and free agency. Signed for two more years at $13.25MM, Matthews’ supposed “decision” is an entirely other conversation, as to what could even happen if things were to go awry. Regardless, it’s a major headline going into the off-season, and any moves Chayka will make will have Matthews’ interests in mind.
- Calgary Flames forward Adam Klapka was a final cut from Team Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Championships. The 25-year-old was a member of last spring’s team, where he recorded three points in five games. Coming up short of the Olympic team in February, a result of his lack of special teams ability, it was likely the same case for today’s ruling. At 6’8”, the winger was brute force in his first full NHL season, racking up 112 penalty minutes and finishing fourth in the league with 295 hits. The righty chipped in offensively from the fourth line as well, tallying 18 points across his 79 games. Signed through next season, he’ll utilize the offseason to rest up from a long campaign where he more than doubled NHL appearances.
Leafs’ John Chayka To Meet With Auston Matthews, Craig Berube
The Toronto Maple Leafs have opened the doors to a new age after hiring John Chayka as general manager and Mats Sundin as a senior advisor. First order of business for the new staff will be finding how they want to define Toronto’s short-term goals – a task helped along by the club’s win at the 2026 NHL Draft lottery. With the top pick in hand, Chayka is now turning his attention towards meeting with the club’s most influential figures – head coach Craig Berube and franchise star Auston Matthews – in the near-future, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic on Thursday’s episode of TSN Overdrive.
There are conflicting reports of if a meeting date has been set yet, though. TSN’s Darren Dreger joined Overdrive to share that Chayka and Matthews do not have a date carved out yet, despite LeBrun’s mention of the inevitable meeting.
Whenever a meeting is held, the question to both Berube and Matthews will likely be the same: what role do you want to play in the Maple Leafs’ next few seasons? Reports have varied on Matthews’ commitment to the club that drafted him first-overall in 2016. He has already secured the franchise record with 428 career goals, passing Sundin’s 420 career goals earlier this season. Matthews also ranks fourth on the club with 780 career points. He has delivered a true star to the Toronto area, though the Maple Leafs weren’t able to turn that asset into postseason success, even with the support of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares.
Through nine consecutive postseason appearances between 2017 and 2025, Matthews has been the one under the microscope – especially after picking up the team’s captaincy in 2024. His game has faced scrutiny at every level – criticisms that are hard to curb as Matthews attempts to recover from an MCL tear sustained in March of this season. That injury contributed to Matthews only potting 53 points in 60 games this season, his first under a point-per-game since his rookie season in 2016-17.
With two seasons left on a four-year, $53MM contract signed in 2023, Matthews will have to answer the question of if he can handle the heat. The postseason will remain Toronto’s primary goal for as long as Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares are headlining the offense. If those runs will include Berube is yet to be seen, after the Stanley Cup-winning head coach failed to lead the Maple Leafs to the playoffs in his second season with the club. Berube led Toronto to 52 wins last season. He has made the postseason in five of his nine years manning an NHL bench, excluding his mid-season firing from the 2023-24 St. Louis Blues.
Should Matthews want to explore greener pastures, or Chayka decide to move on from Berube, the Maple Leafs would again be faced with having to fill a major hole. Matthews’ departure would bump Tavares into a starring role and clear path for Gavin McKenna – or another choice at first-overall – to move into a spotlight role. Dismissing Berube would make the Maple Leafs a top candidate for coaching free agents like Bruce Cassidy, Dean Evason, Jay Woodcroft, or Gerard Gallant. More changes would only further separate the Maple Leafs from their era of short-lived playoff runs – a task Chayka will begin to face before the 2026 NHL Draft rolls around.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
Latest On Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs Future
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston has reported, citing league sources, that Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews “still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in Toronto in the fall.”
What this means, according to Johnston, is that Toronto’s freshly-hired hockey operations leaders, GM John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin, “will be auditioning” to keep Matthews “with their work around draft week in late June and the opening of free agency on July 1.”
Matthews reportedly has “some understandable concerns” about the Maple Leafs’ ability to vault back to their prior status as a team legitimately capable of contending for a Stanley Cup.
What Matthews appears to be looking for from the Maple Leafs is “real action,” meaning tangible transactions that meaningfully improve the caliber of the roster Matthews currently occupies a spot on.
Chayka and Sundin will meet with Matthews at some point in the coming weeks to discuss his future, but a firm decision on where he’s leaning is not expected at that time.
Whether the new leadership will be able to make enough changes to turn around the Maple Leafs, who finished 28th in the NHL just a year after finishing fourth in the standings, is the key question.
The upcoming class of free agents is widely considered to be thin on difference-making talent, and the team’s prospect pool (which ranked No. 29 in the NHL according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler) isn’t overflowing with valuable trade chips.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t avenues for the Maple Leafs to make significant improvements. Every summer, there are unheralded signings or trade additions that end up making a big impact in the years to come. But what it does mean is the Maple Leafs don’t have an abundance of obvious routes back to contention.
In most cases, that’s totally fine. Hockey operations leaders almost always more interested in moves that translate to wins on the ice in the winter, not wins in the headlines in the summer.
But in Toronto’s case, the scarcity of available big-name talent might genuinely matter. If their most immediate, pressing task is convincing Matthews they can quickly rebound and return to contention, working the margins of the roster and relying on savvy moves for undervalued players may not be enough to move the needle.
It’s too early to tell whether the Maple Leafs will ultimately be successful in their efforts for a quick turnaround. But Johnston’s reporting is still significant, as it indicates that the future of Toronto’s best player is far from set in stone.
Photos courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Latest On Auston Matthews
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
Auston Matthews Undergoes MCL Surgery, Out For Season
March 19: Matthews underwent successful surgery to repair his MCL tear today in New York City, the team announced. The procedure carries a 12-week recovery timeline, meaning he shouldn’t have any issue hitting the ground running for training camp in the fall.
March 13: After sustaining a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim’s Radko Gudas on Thursday night, the Maple Leafs won’t have their captain down the stretch. The team announced (Twitter link) that center Auston Matthews will miss the remainder of the season due to a Grade Three MCL tear. He will be reevaluated in two weeks and a further update will be provided at that time.
The injury brings a premature end to what has been a tough season for the 28-year-old. After lingering injuries slowed Matthews down off and on at times last season, the hope was that he’d come into this year fully healthy and get back to the level that saw him win three Rocket Richard trophies for the most goals in four years. With Mitch Marner now in Vegas, they were counting on him to be able to shoulder more of the load offensively.
However, that hasn’t happened. In between dealing with a pair of short-term lower-body injuries, Matthews saw his production drop even further this season. After putting up 78 points in 63 games in 2024-25, he was limited to just 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 outings this season. His goal earlier in Friday’s game snapped a 12-game goalless drought, allowing him to avoid tying his career-long stretch in that regard, set back in his rookie season back in 2016-17. Instead of leading the way offensively, Matthews finds himself fourth in team scoring and will likely stay there with Oliver Ekman-Larsson (who’s fifth) being 18 points behind.
Matthews has two years remaining on his current contract, one that carries a $13.25MM AAV that was briefly the richest in NHL history. It’s fair to say that Toronto hasn’t received fair value on that agreement so far given his reduction in production over the past two years. They’ll have to hope that the extended time off before next season will help spur his offense forward in the second half of the agreement.
His absence could also have an impact in the draft lottery. Toronto will retain its first-round pick if they land in the top five of the draft after the lottery. (If they pick outside that range, the selection goes to Boston.) The Maple Leafs are tied for eighth-last in the league right now, five points ahead of St. Louis, which is currently 28th. However, without their number one center in the lineup down the stretch, they could be primed to fall a little further in the standings.
Meanwhile, Gudas had a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety earlier today as part of the supplemental discipline process. That will cap a potential suspension at no more than five games. With Anaheim in action both Saturday and Sunday, a decision on that front should come before too long.
Radko Gudas Receives Five-Game Suspension
After a knee-on-knee collision that ultimately ended Auston Matthews‘ season, supplemental discipline was widely expected for Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. After a phone hearing today, the Department of Player Safety announced (video link) that the blueliner has received a five-game suspension. That is the maximum suspension for a phone hearing.
The incident occurred in the second period of Thursday’s game. The initial call was five-and-a-game for kneeing which was upheld after video review. In the Player Safety ruling, it was noted that Gudas, though trying to make a legal body check, was in full control on the play. That puts the onus on him to deliver a legal check, which he did not do by leading with his knee, resulting in a “forceful, dangerous, and direct knee-on-knee collision.”
This is the fifth suspension for Gudas in his career, but the first since 2019 when he received a five-game ban for high-sticking. As a result of the time between suspensions, he is not considered a repeat offender for the purpose of forfeited salary. He loses five days’ worth of salary (5/192) as opposed to five games’ worth (5/82) of salary. As a result, he will lose $104,166.65, which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. With these five games, Gudas will now have been suspended for a total of 26 games in his career. It’s the third-longest suspension he has received, following a 10-game ban in 2017 for slashing and a six-game suspension in 2016 for a late high hit.
It’s fair to say that Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver of The-Team (formerly Wasserman), is not a fan of the ruling. Asked for comment by reporters, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link), Moldaver released the following statement:
In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous.
While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous.
This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players.
Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended.
Meanwhile, the loss of Gudas is noteworthy for Anaheim. The captain is a regular on their back end, taking a regular turn on the penalty kill. With John Carlson still working his way back from a lower-body injury, the Ducks will have to dip a little deeper into their defensive depth for the time being, heading into a back-to-back road set this weekend.
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Leaves Game With Injury
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs won against the Anaheim Ducks, they suffered a significant loss this evening. Before the start of the third period, the Maple Leafs announced that captain Auston Matthews had exited the game due to a lower-body injury.
It wasn’t difficult to isolate the injury either. Late in the second period, after getting the puck in front of the net, Ducks’ captain Radko Gudas sprinted at Matthews and delivered a knee-on-knee hit. Gudas was assessed a five-minute major for kneeing on the play and was ejected from the contest.
It’s not always easy to speculate on whether the Department of Player Safety will impose supplemental discipline on a given event. Still, Gudas has a track record of suspensions throughout his career. He was suspended for three games in 2015-16 (check to the head), six games in 2016-17 (check to the head), 10 games in 2017-18 (slashing to the head), and two games in 2018-19 (high-sticking).
Regardless of any extra punishment for Gudas, that won’t do Toronto any justice. The Maple Leafs are already effectively eliminated from postseason contention and may have to finish the 2025-26 campaign on an even worse note. Hopefully, Matthews’ injury isn’t too significant, and he’ll be able to finish the season on a strong note. However, if it is a severe knee injury, there is a possibility that Matthews won’t be able to start his offseason training on time.
Leading up to tonight’s contest against Anaheim, Matthews was having one of the worst offensive seasons of his professional career. He has registered 26 goals and 52 points in 59 games with a -4 rating, averaging 20:56 of ice time per night. Additionally, his possession and defensive metrics have each taken a step back, as well.
Auston Matthews Expected To Return Thursday
Jan. 1: It looks like only a one-game absence for Matthews. He was a full participant at morning skate and is expected to center Matthew Knies and Max Domi tonight against the Jets, per Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
Dec. 30: The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that star forward Auston Matthews will miss Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils and will be out day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. Matthews sustained the injury on a blocked shot in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He missed Tuesday morning’s practice and was designated as a game-time decision before being ruled out.
The Maple Leafs are already down forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Chris Tanev due to injury. Defender Matt Benning and forward Jacob Quillan were recalled to fill in for those absences. Calle Jarnkrok will step back into the lineup for Matthews after four games on the shelf.
Even with the committee effort and a quiet year from their star, Toronto is still going to face a steep test trying to make up for Matthews’ absence. He snapped a four-game scoring drought on December 27th and has four points in two games since. That brings Matthews up to 27 points in 33 games this season, good for fourth on the team in scoring. He is riding a 11.7 shooting percentage this season – roughly four percent lower than his career average of 15.6 percent. Matthews’ shooting success has dwindled over the last two seasons after he managed a career-high 18.7 percent – and 69 goals – in the 2023-24 season.
Quillan and Jarnkrok will fill out the fourth line on Tuesday night, while Scott Laughton earns a bump up to the third line. Laughton has stepped up as a responsible veteran over the recent stretch, bringing some support to a Maple Leafs offense that has leaned more on their depth as of late. His defense-first approach has helped multiple depth players step up their scoring. Toronto has scored 16 goals over its last three games, with multiple points from Matias Maccelli, Bobby McMann, and Nicholas Robertson. Those players will need to continue stepping up to keep the offense firing without Matthews in the lineup.