Reporter Hints At Possible Tension Between Maple Leafs And Auston Matthews

The core four of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares have led this team for the better part of the past seven years, but unfortunately, that has simply added up to one playoff series win.

Now, both Matthews and Nylander are heading into contract years, and it appears all options are on the table for Brad Treliving and Brendan Shannahan, as they should be.

According to reporter Howard Berger, there could be tension forming between Matthews and the Leafs, as the two sides are seemingly all talk, and at this point, if they want to get a deal done before the 2023-24 season, it would have happened already.

In his latest piece, Berger posits that there could be tension building between the two sides, as Matthews looks for a record breaking deal, but after no playoff success and underwhelming performances from No. 34 in big game moments, the possibility of him walking away is now growing.

At this point, there's plenty of time between now and when he would potentially hit free agency, but as the time rolls on with no extension, tensions could continue to rise, and if they get to the end of this season with no more playoff success, Berger suggests looking at two or three players to potentially fill the $13 million void that letting Matthews go would create.

As Read on Between the Posts - LEAFS/AUSTON ARE ALL TALK, NO ACTION