After a difficult season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, some felt like Auston Matthews would want out, although the captain addressed those questions himself today.
Auston Matthews has struggled in recent seasons. He went from 69 goals just two seasons ago to 33 goals in 2024-25 and 27 goals in 2025-26. Not to mention, he struggled under Craig Berube's system, which put the Leafs at the bottom of the Atlantic Division last season.
Amidst these struggles, there were rumblings that Matthews might want out of Toronto, much like his former linemate, Mitch Marner. Today, Matthews got to address these rumors during a press conference ahead of NHL training camp.
Did Auston Matthews want to leave Toronto
As Matthews explained quite clearly to the media today, he never had any intention of leaving the Maple Leafs. Any rumors suggesting otherwise were simply false.
"My intent was always to be here."-These are reassuring comments for fans to hear, given the Summer this team went through. Had Matthews walked, things could have gotten pretty ugly. After all, the captain is the franchise's cornerstone, and he has been since being drafted in 2016.
Is Auston Matthews healthy this season?
In comments made to Ryan Leslie on Tuesday, Matthews made it crystal clear that he is healthy and that he is ready to go for the season. The comments were encouraging and show that the captain is aware of how anxious some fans are.
His health status aside, analysts and fans alike want to see if Matthews' struggles were due to the Berube system. If he struggles under Jim Hiller, then a broader conversation about Matthews will need to be had.
Preseason begins this weekend, with the Leafs playing a pair of games on September 19. This will be a great opportunity for Matthews to show what he's got, and if the offseason preparations have paid off.
POLLDo you believe Auston Matthews will stay in Toronto for the rest of his career?
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