Nick Kypreos fell a great idea on Leafs Nation this week, suggesting the Toronto Maple Leafs may eventually have to consider exploring an Auston Matthews trade. Co-host of the Kyper and Bourne Show thought it was a wild idea and a likely unthinkable outcome if the Leafs continued to play poorly, but injury concerns, playoff uncertainty and the ticking clock on Matthews’ contract were all cited as reasons Kypreos wouldn’t rule it out.
Kypreos argued that availability now and in the future is something the Maple Leafs may need to address. Matthews was on the ice for the third day in a row on Thursday, but will not play against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s another game he’ll miss in a number of games the superstar hasn’t been to in recent seasons.
He played 67 games last season and the pattern emerging this year is worrying. The Leafs are dealing with a new muscle injury and face a season where every game matters. They have a play-off chance of around 11.25 percent, according to MoneyPuckand they have already proven that they are not the same team that survived without him for a long time when they won the Atlantic.
The optics in Toronto appear to be getting worse for Matthews
This season the organization thinks differently than before. Honestly, it’s a different world. Missing Matthews and Marner at the same time has pushed the Leafs into dangerous territory. If Toronto falls out of the race and misses the playoffs, the organization is in for a long, uncomfortable summer — one in which Matthews is two years removed from the end of his contract and eligible for an extension next season.
If the Maple Leafs start to wonder how much they can rely on his health to maintain good standing, they might want to trade him while he still has solid return value. Given his elite ability to score, Matthews will always get a return. However, if it turns out he can’t stay in the lineup on a regular basis, the Maple Leafs may have no choice but to consider a nuclear option.
Kypreos’ point is simple: You can’t have the same storyline two years in a row — the uncertainty, the injuries, the whispers about whether Matthews is playing at full strength. Toronto needs clarity, not limbo.
No one is saying a transaction is imminent. But if the Leafs continue to slide and Matthews’ health remains a cloud over the franchise, the conversation shifts from impossible to inevitable.
Next: Maple Leafs get concerning injury update on Anthony Stolarz
#Maple #Leafs #Insider #Unthinkable #Auston #Matthews #Trade