Recent comments from insider Elliotte Friedman have sparked widespread discussion about the long-term future of Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs following the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Appearing on Hockey Night in Canada’s Saturday Headlines and later discussing the topic on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman addressed the surge of speculation surrounding Matthews during deadline week. According to Friedman, talk of the Leafs potentially moving their captain was overblown.
“There was a lot of noise,” Friedman said, adding there was “0.0% chance” Matthews would be traded at the deadline.
Why Matthews Wasn’t Moved at the Deadline
Where the chatter came from isn’t entirely clear. It could have been the mere fact that the Maple Leafs were selling, which led analysts and fans to pick up a long-shot story and run with it. The body language and reactions at the Olympics (a very at-ease Matthews) versus the star’s demeanor after he returned to Toronto suggested he was stressed to be back with his old team. That didn’t help quiet the noise.
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When the sky is falling, people look for the worst news and discuss it. What’s the one thing that could ruin everything? Let’s talk about that… For the Maple Leafs, that would have been Matthews heading out the door with players like Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nicolas Roy.
The Matthews Noise Isn’t Likely to Go Away
Don’t expect things to calm down on the Matthews front because he wasn’t traded on March 6. Friedman did say the organization is expected to sit down with Matthews sometime in the offseason to discuss the team’s direction and what the roster could look like in the coming years.
That conversation may not happen immediately after the season ends, but the NHL insider believes it is coming, and he suggested it is an important step as the franchise and the player evaluate what comes next. All the while, as the Maple Leafs remain out of the playoffs and aren’t playing postseason hockey, fans in Toronto will imagine, maybe even manifest, the worst.
It probably won’t matter that Friedman noted there has been no indication Matthews is unhappy in Toronto. The star center has not expressed a desire to leave, and there have been no signals of frustration from the captain publicly or privately. Still, fans will assume they know what he’s thinking, and the debate will rage on as the season comes to a close and the offseason starts with that “Matthews conversation” looming large.
There will be questions about the team’s direction, especially if the draft, then July 1 comes and goes without the team getting significantly better.
And, if Matthews does come out and publicly say there’s no leaving, the Maple Leafs may need to make difficult roster decisions to retool the lineup around him. How will Toronto get what it needs? Who becomes available for trade and who remains untouchable?
Friedman suggested in 32 Thoughts that if Toronto’s reset is meant to be quick (much like Boston’s), Matthews may be willing to stay patient. But if the process appears to be a longer rebuild, the situation could become more complicated depending on how offseason discussions unfold.
