The Auston Matthews to San Jose rumors are everywhere and most fans have no idea why they make zero sense
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Auston Matthews in teal? It's crazy but since there are questions about his future it seems anywhere is a possibility but it really makes no sense to trade him.
With word that Auston Matthews may not want to stick around with the Toronto Maple Leafs much longer, that started a firestorm of trade rumours and speculation about where he may end up next.
A lot of people are pointing to Los Angeles or Vegas as two destinations that would love to bring him in and the possibility of him playing alongside Mitch Marner again seems crazy but in this modern NHL, anything is possible.
But there's also another team out in the Western Conference who has a slew of young talent just waiting for an MVP to help guide them into the future: San Jose.
The Sharks are a young up-and-coming team who had a genuine shot at making the postseason but just fell short. Backed by an incredible season from Macklin Celebrini and getting some fantastic support from their young guns as well; they look poised for success.
They're also a team who needs that extra bit of elite talent and guidance to put them over the top, and it's a situation that some believe could lead to a Matthews deal. The Hockey Writers wrote a piece regarding Matthews being dealt for William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, the 2nd overall pick, and a 2028 second-rounder:
If Toronto were seriously entertaining a move like this, the return should include William Eklund; Kasper Halttunen, the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft; and a 2028 second-round pick.
Matthews has a full no movement clause and San Jose is not a market he has ever shown interest in and that one fact ends the rumor immediately
The deal in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad one considering the Leafs get both a core piece and the 2nd pick (it's not like they are buying down really).
But Matthews also has given zero indication he wants to go there, holds full trade protection, and still needs to have a conversation with the GM before figuring his future out.
It's a rush job to just deal him away without really attempting to build around him one last time. Matthews has always wanted to win in Toronto and is giving them a chance to prove it to him before deciding where to go.
Chayka and company have their work cut out for them though, and though the dominos are starting to fall and lining up in a pretty solid timeframe; it could always not be enough. Gavin McKenna is great but with him able to be built around for the next 20 years - does Matthews feel like he's being replaced?
There's a world where both of them lead the Maple Leafs for years to come but you have to make sure that the captain is happy enough to want to see things through.
Just hear him out, and make sure you're both on the same page even if you're not on the same team later down the line. It's the least you can do.
Trading Matthews for a second overall pick is mathematically insulting and no GM on Earth would do it
Right off the bat you're already devaluing who Matthews was and currently is. He was a first overall pick and now you think he's worth less? That's genuinely insulting and not just for an athlete; but anyone.
Imagine it was your workplace. You come in, do a fantastic job, everyone appreciates and admires you, but then the company turns around and promotes someone else instead? How would you feel if you gave all you could, and now the place you invested your life into suddenly finds you less valuable?
Pretty darn awful I think, and that's what Matthews would feel if Toronto even thought about that. If you're going to trade Matthews to San Jose, you go and get four or five young pieces and the second overall pick - we're talking Eklund, Sam Dickinson, and maybe even Michael Misa.
Unless Matthews has flat out said he wants to skip town, trading him for anything less than a first overall pick (or a group of top-10 players) is a ridiculous underpayment.
Yes he's been hurt, and yes he hasn't performed to the best of his ability in the playoffs; we can't argue that. But he's still the 69-goal scorer who put up a four-spot in his debut game. This is a serious elite player that you can't risk losing without a surefire replacement.
It's always fun to find ways to make the Maple Leafs younger, faster, or more creative. But at the cost of Auston Matthews it's a really, really hard sell.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Both Matthews and McKenna's camps just spoke and the reactions are exactly what Leafs fans were hoping to hear
Both Matthews and McKenna's camps just spoke and the reactions are exactly what Leafs fans were hoping to hear
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