There won’t be one magic moment that totally eliminates Auston Matthews trade rumors from the scope of this Toronto Maple Leafs offseason.
But in general, the news that continues to emerge about Matthews continues to suggest he isn’t in a hurry to go anywhere.
The latest update came from TSN’s Darren Dreger on Thursday. This is what he said:
“There does seem to be now a growing sense that he’s more than willing of course to get there in training camp. It’s just his hope, and maybe expectation is a better word, that the team is is better.”
That’s been the most common theme throughout these proceedings even as varied speculation has emerged. It seems that Matthews, the Leafs’ captain, doesn’t really want to leave Toronto right now. He simply wants the Maple Leafs’ new leadership to approach this offseason with improvement in mind.
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Clearly, the 2025-26 season wasn’t up to Toronto’s hoped-for standard, and there’s a need for a bounce back in a hurry.
Matthews has just two years remaining on his current contract, so it feels like a bit of a pivot point in his future. Maybe not quite yet, but he’ll eventually have to determine whether he wants an extension or whether he wants to look elsewhere.
The good news for the Leafs is that Matthews’ current desire to have a better team put around him is also the best chance Toronto has of retaining him in the long run. Those desires work hand in hand.
Toronto has a built-in advantage of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Adding a guy like Gavin McKenna to the mix is an automatic boost to the present and future.
Then if the Maple Leafs can get any other trades or free agent moves right, this has the potential to be a fruitful offseason, one that aligns with Matthews’ goals, too.
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