Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff reported that Auston Matthews' future in Toronto isn't as secure as initially thought, especially as the team continues to struggle.
As the Maple Leafs continue to falter during the 2026-27 season, all eyes are starting to turn to Auston Matthews and how he may feel about the situation.
He wants to win and he implored the team to make changes to help him do so. They gave him some defensive help up front but did nothing to address a slow and aging defensive corps, and their gamble on Sergei Bobrovsky has not paid off whatsoever.
If things don't get better, Matthews is more than likely leaving Toronto
There could be a world where Matthews decides he doesn't want to stick with things much longer and may want to seek greener pastures.
According to Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff - that's exactly what is in line to happen:
He'll be 30 years old by the time next season starts. He has yet to escape Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in his career. He's made it clear that a winning team trajectory matters.
And why wouldn't it? If the Leafs continue to slide out of the playoff race, then, the ripples of doubt about Matthews' future will rise into a tidal wave.
It won't just be a matter of 'if' Matthews will leave town, but a question of 'when' as it pertains to his future with the team. He can't go another decade without winning and push is eventually going to come to shove.
If the Maple Leafs do indeed start to fall out of contention and rehash the results of last season, then the likelihood of Matthews leaving increases tenfold, and the team may have to seriously think about recouping whatever they can should he decide to leave.
Maple Leafs do get a chance to reshape their franchise if things fall apart
At this point, Matthews is playing arguably the best he has in a few years, and he's become that scoring threat who has his footing back under him, looks injury-free, and extremely motivated.
Any team would love to have him, and if the Maple Leafs do indeed intend to blow things up in a big way, then they could get a king's ransom for him this year. As opposed to last year or 2024-25 where he struggled with consistency and injuries, he's actually a dangerous player this season - and that could benefit Toronto.
Expect multiple first-round picks in order to get things going, not to mention two or three young, NHL-ready players who are building blocks for the franchise. It's absolutely mandatory that John Chayka gets a franchise defenseman in the deal, otherwise it's a failure.
That genuinely has a chance to reshape how the Maple Leafs look and play, with a focus on Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Kirill Marchenko and William Nylander (if he's sticking around) in addition to their new pieces - and it opens up some contract flexibility.
If Matthews leaves, then it opens a lot of doors for the Maple Leafs, even one that potentially includes Nikita Kucherov.
But in doing so, it will definitively close the door on Matthews and his Maple Leafs career. One that came with a lot of fanfare but not much success.
Do you think Auston Matthews is going to stay with the Maple Leafs or decide to leave?
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