Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs may be approaching a fork in the road. As wild as that would have sounded a few months ago, a lot can change in a short time, and that’s exactly what happened here.
Since taking over as captain, the two-time goalscorer has felt and looked off, and those concerns have only increased in the second year of that experiment.
Whether it’s a lingering injury, adjusting to Craig Berube’s system, the loss of Mitch Marner, the pressure that comes with wearing the ‘C’, or a combination of everything, it just hasn’t worked.
As a result, fans and people around the league have reached the point where they are seriously discussing potential trade scenarios involving Matthews – not only in the best interest of not only the Maple Leafs, but possibly the player himself. On Monday, Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos weighed in on the idea, suggesting that a deal of that magnitude would likely come this offseason, and that we should keep an eye on the Los Angeles Kings in any sweepstakes.
Kypreos said:
“I really believe that this is not something that can happen during this season, this is a decision for the summer… I think there are spots, and I don’t know if you want to hold me to this, but Auston Matthews for the LA Kings is the play. That’s the move. They let Kopitar leave and they need someone, and they’ve kind of held out looking at McDavid. And I think McDavid was the LA Kings choice in a few years or as early as next year to trade for him, maybe they would Auston falls right under that,’
Matthews, 28, is in the second year of the four-year, $53 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2023. He has been limited to just 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) through 30 games so far on the campaign.
What do the Kings have in store for Auston Matthews?
If the Maple Leafs ultimately decide it’s time to put this era behind them and trade Matthews, they might as well get an absolute return in return.
Kypreos said general manager Brad Treliving should look for at least three quality assets in any deal, specifically citing the possibility of two NHL-ready young players plus a first-round pick as a starting point.
Quinton Byfield, a native of Newmarket, Ontario, and Brandt Clarke, a native of Nepean, Ontario, immediately stand out as logical targets Toronto would pursue in conversations with Kings GM Ken Holland. Byfield, 23, and Clarke, 22, both join a potential reshuffle or reset, and each has significant upside as the former second overall (2020) and eighth overall (2021), respectively.
Would that package ever really match the value Matthews offered when he was at the height of his powers? No. But since we haven’t really seen it in the last two years, maybe it’s time for Toronto to seriously consider what life would be like without him.
Next: Maple Leafs are the most traded player trending on PuckPedia at $53 million
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