The Toronto Maple Leafs might be considering the unthinkable – trading Auston Matthews this summer.
It sounds crazy. Matthews just signed a massive new deal and wears the ‘C’ for one of hockey’s most storied franchises. But after another early playoff exit, everything’s on the table.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff thinks the Leafs will at least talk about it internally, even if they’re not likely to pull the trigger.
The team’s facing some major changes already. Mitch Marner could walk as a free agent. Same with John Tavares. Even team president Brendan Shanahan’s contract is up.
But Matthews? That would be huge.
The numbers tell a troubling story. For a guy who scores like crazy in the regular season – about two goals every three games – his playoff performance has been disappointing. He’s only scored in 23 of his 68 playoff games.
That’s not what you expect from a superstar making superstar money.
There’s also the injury concerns. Matthews has dealt with various health issues throughout his career, and they’re not getting any easier to manage.
“The Leafs are in a position where they need to consider everything,” Seravalli says. “Even things that seemed impossible before.”
The team’s been stuck in this weird spot – good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to do anything once they get there. Maybe that’s why they’re willing to think about such a dramatic move.
Trading Matthews would be the biggest shake-up in recent Leafs history. But after years of playoff disappointments, maybe that’s exactly what they need.
The real question is: Would any team be willing to pay what it would take to land a talent like Matthews? And would the Leafs really have the guts to pull it off?
