These last 20 games mean nothing to you, but Auston Matthews is watching every one
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
For most people, the Toronto Maple Leafs season is over, but for the team and Auston Matthews, it's an evaluation period that could determine things going forward.
Sitting 27-26-11 on the season, Toronto is in a really precarious position and with little in the way of positives to look forward to, it's time to figure out where the team is heading into 2026-27.
It's a perfect chance to play their rookies more often and see if they can provide help next season, but it's also the chance to see what's left of Auston Matthews.
Why the next 20 games are so important to Auston Matthews
Seeing that Matthews has been less the 69-goal scorer of year's past and more like a faster Ryan O'Reilly, it's important to figure out two things: How do you get him back on track, and what coach is going to do so?
Clearly Craig Berube hasn't properly utilized him, and the longer he's around then the less chance Matthews has to score; it's just not the right system for him to thrive in.
The captain has 52 points in 58 games (26 goals, 26 assists) which has him on pace for the worst output of his career and still needs seven goals to surpass last year's total.
But when he's spending over 40% of his starts in the defensive zone and 96% of the time of the PK -- there's no chance to really get things going.
It's not like Matthews can't score, but he's not given the same opportunities as before. He was just an Olympic gold medalist tasked to lead an offence. It might be time for Brad Treliving to get into Berube's ear and try to get him playing with less defensive responsibility.
He's supported his head coach publicly before, but this is the time for business not pleasantries.
Let him play weaker matchups, stop forcing him on the penalty kill (who cares if you lose at this point) and try to give him some confidence back in himself otherwise you're at risk of frustrating him more and more.
Do the Maple Leafs have enough to keep Matthews around?
If Toronto really wants to keep Matthews then they need to start proving it. Build an actual competitive roster around him. Find that new #1 puck-moving defenceman, and get a proper playmaker on his right side.
They're back to where they started previously with a need for both a 3C and 4C after trading Nic Roy and Scott Laughton, and Jacob Quillan can only fill one spot. Max Domi should never touch the middle again either if they want to keep Matthews as he shouldn't be relied upon to play a defensive role.
The team has also never really offered up a true game plan or a direction beyond 'we have a plan' so unless Matthews knows something we don't, he's also going to have questions for management something Michael D'Amato pointed out:
If the Leafs again look like a team nowhere close to the playoffs, Matthews could decide he doesn't want to stay long-term.
Toronto will want to make sure it gets a good return for its superstar if he decides he wants out in order to avoid another Mitch Marner situation.
Toronto will want to make sure it gets a good return for its superstar if he decides he wants out in order to avoid another Mitch Marner situation.
If Toronto had a deep prospect pool, or were only one or two pieces away from being competitive then it would be a lot easier for Matthews to commit.
But the reality is they don't have a great system and more than a few holes to fill so it might take a lot of promises they'll eventually need to follow through on to keep him around.
What happens to Toronto if Matthews leaves, and if he doesn't
First and foremost, if Matthews is gone then it will fall upon the hands of William Nylander to help lead the team alongside Matthew Knies and John Tavares. They're also losing their best overall player, and still a true superstar on the ice.
We may also see a lot more of the same from this season, where a lifeless squad takes the ice and loses a lot for a few years while piling up assets and prospects in order to get better long-term so fans may need to brace for the worst.
The Maple Leafs have to start giving both fans and Matthews a sense of where they are headed going into next year and beyond.
If not, they could be looking at a world without Auston Matthews which is something no one could have ever expected.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Laughton and Roy score right after leaving the Maple Leafs - the Berube problem is real
Laughton and Roy score right after leaving the Maple Leafs - the Berube problem is real
| POLL | ||
MARS 9|1096 ANSWERS These last 20 games mean nothing to you, but Auston Matthews is watching every one Do you think Auston Matthews wants out of Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 794 | 72.4 % |
| No | 302 | 27.6 % |
| List of polls | ||