Auston Matthews is going to be a free agent in 2028 and in preparation of that, one team is setting aside a lot of hope that he'll head to the open market.
Right now, Auston Matthews is set to finally have a team that can give him a fighting chance at winning. He's got his playmaker in Gavin McKenna, he got a few new faces who will do whatever they can to protect him, and his new goaltender is one of the greatest of the modern era so things are looking up.
Which is good considering he was apparently ho-hum about sticking around, but with the serious changes made in the organization he has at least some hope things will turn around.
A looming McDavid contract is going to set the bar for Matthews' next deal
if they don't however, Matthews is likely going to test the open market when his contract is up in 2028 and with the majority of Toronto's contracts and deals centred around that two-year window, it's clear they are all-in with their captain right now.
But if he decides to leave town, he's at least going to have one suitor who is more than prepared to make him an outstandingly lucrative offer but it all depends on how the dominos fall with another superstar.
The Los Angeles Kings are expected to make a push for Connor McDavid when he is a free agent in 2028 and with that, but they are also expected to try and convince Auston Matthews to come over if that falls through - and the Kings are already doing their homework:
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McDavid is likely headed towards a ridiculous AAV which is going to hit over $20-million potentially especially with the Anaheim Ducks making Leo Carlsson the most expensive player in the NHL, and the Kings are going to have a projected $78-million to work with; so that's a fair hit but they have room.
Why 2028 is the summer that Maple Leafs fans are dreading
But if they are unable to hit a home run with McDavid (and that depends how Edmonton does as well) then they are reportedly interested in Matthews.
If so, then fans are going to have a lot of anxiety when 2028 rolls around, especially if the team hasn't reached those heights expected of them. At that point, Matthews will have been here 12 years without winning and be into his early 30s so it's likely he wants to try and win somewhere.
He's already had some reservations about the team and although they made sweeping changes, it isn't guaranteed to get them into the playoffs let alone push for a Stanley Cup. They have a fighting shot for sure, but Matthews has to also pul his weight and get back to his dominant form.
Fans are also dreading what 2028 will bring considering that Toronto only has six forward signed after 2028, with one year left of John Tavares before he potentially retires. If Matthews isn't interested, and they can't get someone like McDavid or even Zach Werenski then it's going to be tough.
You'll have Gavin McKenna sure, but he'll be 20 and he isn't exactly ready to be thrust into the captain role just yet, with it becoming the Knies and Nylander show for the future - not to mention their defence will be 32 years of age or older, with only three signed players in Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev, and Darren Raddysh (potentially four if Morgan Rielly stays).
2028 could be the year that the Maple Leafs make themselves the strongest team we've ever seen or it could be the year that everything falls apart. We'll just have to see how things play out.
Will the Maple Leafs be able to convince Auston Matthews to re-sign in 2028?
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