An unspoken Auston Matthews durability pattern forces the new Toronto GM to completely rethink the roster
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Auston Matthews is unquestionably the best player on the roster but his injury history is going to cause a lot of headaches for the new Maple Leafs GM.
When Auston Matthews scored 69 goals for the Maple Leafs it was something that hadn't been done since Mario Lemieux, and was the statement maker that made him known as the best pure goal scorer in the NHL.
But since then he hasn't looked the same, and though Craig Berube has a lot to do with it, there's also some pretty bad luck as well. He missed 15 games last season but still managed to put up 33 goals and 78 points; low but not awful.
Though this year he missed 22 games and was a shell of his former self, and with this being the third big injury in two seasons, there's some concerns about his health going forward.
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That's going to be a huge headache for whoever is coming in.
There's no doubt that Matthews is one of the best players in the world but his inability to stay healthy combined with Craig Berube's neutering of him — it's led to him being nowhere near where he should be.
If he's someone who ends up missing another 10, 15, heck even 20+ games next season, there has to be a real discussion about whether or not to keep him around. How can you trust he'll be the right guy if he can't even stay on the ice?
Matthews, if healthy, should have played a total of 820 games over his career, but has missed 131 over his career. In fact, the only season he played an entire year was his rookie season in 2016-17; otherwise he's been out at least a bit.
With his contract up in 2028 and already costing $13.25-million, it's going to be hard to come to an agreement with Matthews knowing that he's a bit unreliable. If he wants $15 or $16-million per season, is it even worth paying it knowing he won't play a quarter of the games?
I know it sounds crazy to start thinking about a trade but what are the other options? Are you going to let Matthews walk for nothing just because you're afraid of whatever backlash there may be?
It's worse getting nothing for him and you'd genuinely be able to reconstruct and rebuild your entire franchise by doing so. Take Los Angeles for example.
They could give Toronto a wealth of assets like Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Laferriere who could give Toronto a lot of hope, plus you're adding picks and prospects too — it's a king's ransom for good reason.
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Does losing Matthews hurt? Absolutely. You're a bit crazy if not. But you have to look at the bigger picture. He's going to be 29, and with him already a bit of a glass cannon; those injury risks only multiply the more he ages.
If you can get something for him now as opposed to waiting until the last minute, it might be the best option that gives Toronto hope for the future while also allowing Matthews to potentially chase a Cup.
Do you want to have a broken and potentially regressed Matthews at 34, 35 years old when he's no longer effecting things? This isn't a John Tavares situation where he's like iron; he's a genuine concern for the future.
The Maple Leafs are going to continue on whether or not Matthews is a part of things, so if he's at the end of his time here, it would be foolish not to get something back — this is a business after all.
You want to start building around guys like Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, Ben Danford and potentially a name like Gavin McKenna or Chase Reid and that's going to need Matthews to head elsewhere.
It's time to realize that Auston Matthews, for as good as he is, may not be healthy enough to stick with the Maple Leafs long-term.
The new GM who comes in has to not only prove to Matthews it's worth him sticking around — but get proof from the captain he can actually handle things too.
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