Before Connor McDavid re-signed with the Edmonton Oilers, he made it fairly clear that he needed the team to be competitive if he was going to stick around. McDavid waited all summer, sent Oilers Nation into a panic because they thought he might be leaving, and ultimately signed a short-term two-year extension.
Auston Matthews might be prepared to pull the same move, according to analyst Nick Kypreos.
Is Matthews About To Hold the Maple Leafs To The Fire?
Some fans in Toronto won’t care if Matthews leaves. Others will. But it’s important to note that traces of the old Matthews are back, which is great news for the Maple Leafs. But the more he plays well, the more that same fan base who is thrilled he’s become a superstar again might feel a little uneasy.
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In the early going of the 2025-26 season, Matthews didn’t look like himself. He was slower, quieter, and disengaged. Whether it was injury-related, system changes, new linemates, or simply frustration boiling over, the result was the Maple Leafs playing terrible hockey and sitting well outside the playoff picture. Now that he’s rolling again, the Leafs look more dangerous.
Matthews is scoring at will and dragging the Leafs back into games, sometimes single-handedly. That kind of on-ice leadership brings leverage, and with so many roster and organizational changes, he might be prepared to play an interesting hand.
Kypreos writes:
“In a short span, he’s watched changes ripple through ownership, the front office, behind the bench and, most important, in the lineup. He’s seen the team’s prospect and draft capital thinned to the bone. He’s watched elite NHL players force a change of scenery, like Matthew Tkachuk did with the Calgary Flames in 2022 and Quinn Hughes with the Vancouver Canucks this season. Could he consider doing the same?”
Is Matthews Going to Pull a McDavid?
His blunt response to questions about Mitch Marner recently might have been the first sign that Matthews is done messing around. Kypreos suggested this is a superstar who’s done waiting.
For a team that has had lofty expectations but never met them, Matthews is running out of time to make good. Kypreos adds:
“What Matthews will need to reassure him that Toronto is the place to be long-term, much like McDavid is seeking in Edmonton, is proof. He needs proof that the goaltending can hold, that the defence can defend, that the supporting cast can provide grit, push back on the opposition and execute when he’s catching his breath on the bench.”
After this season, Matthews will have two years left on his deal. Kypreos seems to be hinting that the term was no accident. Matthews wanted leverage. He positioned himself to evaluate the Leafs while still firmly in his prime, just as McDavid has done with the Oilers.
Auston Matthews,Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
And like McDavid hinted in the way he negotiated his extension, Kypreos believes the message is already clear: build a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, or don’t expect Matthews to stay. Perhaps Matthews is done waiting for the Maple Leafs to “figure it out.” And, it makes sense that Matthews might question his future.
The warning signs are there. Toronto has burned through draft capital. The roster has been reshuffled repeatedly. Coaching personnel and philosophies have changed. Goaltending remains a nightly adventure. Big stars are leaving for “greener pastures.”
If Toronto misses the playoffs, the conversation changes immediately. His contract negotiations, or lack thereof, will do the talking.
The Leafs need a long playoff run. Matthews needs to feel confident about the organization’s future and its ability to remain competitive. He wants to be on a team that can win and one that isn’t completely reliant on him being hot to do so.
If he doesn’t see it? Then Toronto may soon find itself in the same uncomfortable position Edmonton knows all too well: trying to convince its best player that patience is still worth it.
