Another day, another Auston Matthews rumour making its way around the rumour mill regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs. This time, it comes from NHL insider Darren Dreger during an appearance on the Barn Burner Podcast from just over two weeks ago.
On the podcast, the discussion was about the lack of options the Los Angeles Kings have to replace Anze Kopitar once he retires at the end of the season. That’s what led Dreger to bring up the Maple Leafs, where he floated the idea of Matthews being a potential fit to take over as the face of the franchise in Los Angeles.
Kings Thought to be Frontrunners
Now, it’s important to note this was more of a suggestion than anything concrete. Dreger made it clear there wasn’t any real reporting behind it, just a fit he could see. Still, it gets you thinking, because it does make some sense. Even if the fan base doesn’t want to see their captain go anywhere, if Matthews did want out, a deal with the Kings isn’t that hard to picture.
Here’s what Dreger had to say on the Barn Burner Podcast:
“What if Toronto can’t convince Auston Matthews that they can turn this thing around in a real quick fashion? What if Matthews goes to them—you know, he’s got two years left (on his contract)—and says, ‘The way I’m feeling right now, I don’t think I’m going to extend here’? If I’m Kenny Holland and the LA Kings, I’m calling Tree (Brad Treliving) at some point now or in the offseason and saying, not sure it’s going to happen, but if it does I’d like to be in on that!”
Before bringing up the Maple Leafs, Dreger also talked about how the Kings are hoping their patient approach with Quinton Byfield could eventually lead to him becoming Kopitar’s replacement. That said, Matthews is on a completely different level, and if the Kings were serious about going after him, you’d have to think Byfield’s name comes up in the conversation. Even then, it still feels unlikely he’d be the main piece heading back to Toronto.
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Ideally, the Maple Leafs would look at a package built around draft picks, top prospects like Brandt Clarke and Carter George and potentially a top forward like Kevin Fiala or Adrian Kempe. It’s tough to predict exactly what a deal would look like, but everyone knows if Matthews is ever moved, the return is going to be massive. It would have to be. And if that’s the route they go, it would be about building a younger core alongside Easton Cowan, Matthew Knies, and William Nylander.
As things stand, the recent reports suggest Matthews is going to take some time while he recovers from his MCL injury to figure out his future. The hope is the Maple Leafs can turn things around quickly enough to convince him to stay. But if this turns into a longer process, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll want to stick around for that, especially when there are other teams that’s be very interested in him, where he could chase a Stanley Cup right away.
