The Toronto Maple Leafs have work to do with the new administration coming in, led by General Manager John Chayka and Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations Mats Sundin.
First off, the Maple Leafs need to decide whether this is a partnership, a one-man show, a mentorship for Sundin to take over later on, or a way for Chayka to be protected, as Sundin will do all the media and so on. After that, the roster work begins, starting with Auston Matthews.
There is popular narrative going around that Matthews wants out. To the extent that is accurate; however, as Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period stated on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio on Saturday May 9th edition of the TFP Hotstove with Dennis Bernstein and Ryan Paton, Matthews wants to win in Toronto, but if he doesn’t think he can, then he will look for a new destination where he can.
NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Convince Auston Matthews to Stay
I believe they’re going to meet with Auston Matthews next week (next couple of weeks) in Scottsdale. They’re going to try to get on the same page with respect to what the timeline is and all that. And then it’s a matter of execution.
And the whole stuff that Auston doesn’t want to be in Toronto, sure, and this and that. I think it’s being twisted a little bit. All of this stuff that CJ reported this week, Chris Johnson reported week, and then I think Elliotte did something about it to Friedman, that’s all right, it’s all accurate. I’ve been saying it as well all week. I’ve been wording it a little bit differently, so I think that maybe some of the verbiage is being twisted.
But the mindset is still the same. The message behind the reporting is the exact same, and it’s fully accurate. Auston wants to win in Toronto, but if the Leafs don’t show him that next year and the year after, they’re going to be competitive, the hell is he going to stay there for?
Matthews has been the topic of conversation because he has two years left on a four-year deal he signed in August of 2023, with a cap hit of $13.25 million. He just saw how management traded Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights and couldn’t replace that production. The Maple Leafs used to have a top five; now they have a top three. So there is work that needs to be done on the roster.
As Chayka stated during the press conference, there is a gap between where they are and who they want to become. How sizable that gap is remains to be seen. How far away are they from the team that lost in Game 7 of Round 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Florida Panthers, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup for a second straight year?
NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, and the San Jose Sharks
Similar situation with the Edmonton Oilers. The Maple Leafs need to redo the defense. Chayka talked about a puck-moving defenseman. They need a legit third-line center. Find depth scoring after moving out Bobby McMann. Remake the bottom six, potentially both the third and fourth lines. Is Morgan Rielly staying? What is the package if they trade him away?
The Toronto Maple Leafs, like the Edmonton Oilers, don’t have the draft picks or assets to make any significant moves without trading a rostered player. And if that happens, are they heading toward contending or rebuilding?
Having the first overall pick in 2026 is great. This isn’t an overcomplicated situation, despite what some may say; you take Gavin McKenna. Having a play-making winger on the top line helps Matthews and Matthew Knies. But as Pagnotta noted, both are excited to play alongside each other, but that isn’t the only thing that will move the needle for Auston Matthews.
“I reached out to both of their respective camps, Gavin McKenna’s camp and Auston Matthews camp, the day of the lottery,” Pagnotta said on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio. “Like, right after the lottery, there was excitement on both sides. And on Auston’s side, it’s still okay. This is great. This is exciting. But what else is there? Like, I need to see the rest.”
Adding a top-six calibre player on an entry-level contract helps the Maple Leafs cap-wise. But free agency is a dud this year, so it will be tough to find the right players. Seems like Craig Berube could be sticking around for the season after management met with him over the weekend.
But there is a timeline: mid-July for Auston Matthews. We know the Draft is at the end of June and Free Agency on July 1st. He wants to see action. Though realistically, the timeline needs to be shorter, and management has to put its foot down and finally dictate terms. Do not let the players keep running the organization as it has been in the “Core Four” era.
What Does the Near Future Hold for Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Now that could be an arbitrary timeline, as that is when movement normally happens in the NHL, and then players make their determination. However, if Auston Matthews has made up his mind, like Quinn Hughes in Vancouver and Matthew Tkachuk in Calgary, and no matter what the team does, he wants out, then the organization needs to know that now.
Again, wanting to win in Toronto is great. But having confusion right now is also good. Let’s be honest, if you were a player on the Maple Leafs, you would have questions about the direction of the club after the two press conferences that Keith Pelley spoke at.
It is a fascinating time with all eyes on the Toronto Maple Leafs yet again and the future of Auston Matthews with the franchise.
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