There are a lot of questions surrounding what the Toronto Maple Leafs will be doing at the General Manager’s position, as well as whether or not there will be a President of Hockey Operations. It seems more like the latter when it comes to the Maple Leafs Hockey Operations department. However, a bigger cloud looms: the future of Auston Matthews.
NHL Rumors: Auston Matthews Will Not Rush into Any Decision About His Future
Right now the future for Auston Matthews is getting healthy after having surgery on a Grade 3 ACL tear he suffered from a knee on knee hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. But Matthews and the Maple Leafs need to decide how he factors into the future and the “retool” that will be happening in Toronto.
The new hockey management will try to convince Matthews that things are still on track and this is a one-year blip. Remember, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet in the summer of 2021 they had discussions with Matthews about his future with the Maple Leafs. That was before he signed his four-year deal in August 2023.
Well, that deal has two-years left and the Toronto Maple Leafs went from one of the best teams to one of the worst teams overnight. It is a similar path the Vancouver Canucks went on heading into this season. Vancouver went to the second round of the playoffs in 2024 and then missed the playoffs the following season and then did everything in their power to convince defenseman Quinn Hughes to stay.
However, the Canucks had his mind made up long before the 2025 offseason. Even management a year out he wasn’t going to sign long-term in Vancouver. The Canucks traded him to the Minnesota Wild for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick. Vancouver knew a rebuild was coming but they took one asset and got four to hopefully set a foundation moving forward.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Road Back Will Be Long
Something similar could play out in Toronto. Players understand they have more control now. If teams feel Matthews can help for at least two playoff runs they will do it. If Toronto wants to figure out the problems within the organization maybe their is no convincing captain Auston Matthews the Maple Leafs will actually be back.
We know William Nylander does not want to be around for a rebuild. But given what just happened with Quinn Hughes this is a scenario that could happen again.
“My theory on this. This is my theory. It’s purely my theory,” Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts Podcast on Friday. “Based on what I heard this week is, they’re going to tell him we’re back on track next year, or trying to be and come back at the start of the year, and let’s see how it goes.
,Like, I think, the Quinn Hughes thing, every player in that league, every team in that league, saw how the Quinn Hughes thing played out this year. And that you start the year, you see how it goes, and then if it goes off the rails, you adjust as necessary. We’ll see. I could be wrong about that. But that’s my theory, right now, that’s my theory.”
Not a bad theory considering what just played out in Vancouver. Plus, Toronto needs to restock its farm system and draft picks. In addition moving a player like Nylander or Matthews gives the team the ability to bring in talent that will be the next wave of Maple Leafs similar to what happened in 2014.
NHL Rumors: The Toronto Maple Leafs Fallout Continues
So there is a lot at stake with not only the hire in Toronto, but the future of captain Auston Matthews with the Maple Leafs moving forward. There is a good chance he doesn’t finish his career with the club.
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