Analyst Proposes Blockbuster Auston Matthews Trade To Wild
Matthews tore his MCL in March, had surgery, and missed the remainder of a season that saw the Maple Leafs finish 28th in the NHL.
Elliotte Friedman has reported that Matthews is not yet committed to playing in Toronto in 2026-27.
The Leafs fired Craig Berube and hired John Chayka as GM in a span of weeks, and the organizational reset that is underway has left Matthews' future unclear for the first time since he signed his four-year, $53 million extension in 2023.
Maple Leafs GM John Chayka on meeting with Auston Matthews:
— Anna Dua (@AnnaNoelleDua) May 13, 2026
“We’ve had conversations. I think it was important for me to get a good lay of the land in terms of internal workings and what we had in place here… I wanted to make sure that we had all the knowledge we could possibly…
Two years remain on that deal. He holds a full no-movement clause, and controls where he goes entirely.
And on TSN 1200, analyst John Rodenburg revisited the idea of a Matthews trade to the Minnesota Wild and posed an intriguing question.
"If I were to say to you that Quinn Hughes would re-sign in Minnesota long term, we're going to go get Auston Matthews, but the package that has to go back to Toronto would have to include Brock Faber," Rodenburg said.
"You are getting back Auston Matthews, who is capable — especially playing with Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy — of scoring 60 goals. You already have a number one D by far."
Why Minnesota Keeps Coming Up
The Wild have surfaced repeatedly as a Matthews destination.
Bill Guerin was Matthews' GM when he captained Team USA to a gold medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.
Darren Dreger: I don't think there's any chance that Auston Matthews isn't playing in Toronto unless they come to him and say...we are going full rebuild; he's still committed...it's just, little bit of pressure to...try and make the team better - OverDrive (5/14)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) May 14, 2026
Hughes, whose long-term extension in Minnesota is the subject of its own ongoing negotiation, and Boldy, who built obvious chemistry with Matthews during the Olympic run, give the Wild a top-six structure that would make an already dangerous team pretty terrifying.
Michael Russo of The Athletic went as far as speculating in March that if Matthews ever became available, Minnesota would be among the most motivated teams in the league to pursue him, with Guerin specifically identified as someone who would be all-in on the move.
The Asset Problem
The complication that both Russo and Rodenburg admit is the same one.
Minnesota already gave up Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, and a first-round pick to acquire Quinn Hughes from Vancouver.
That haul depleted the Wild's prospect pool in a way that makes assembling a second franchise-caliber package extremely difficult.
Russo didn't dance around that part. "I just don't know if the Wild would have the assets to get that done," he said on Sportsnet 590. "They just don't have those assets anymore. And if Auston Matthews suddenly became available, I think there would be a lot of teams in it."
Faber: They deserved to win this series, plain and simple. And, yeah, that's just where it just gets frustrating, right? Because when we are at our absolute best, I think we can beat this team. Just they were more consistent. I feel like they outplayed us most of the series,…
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 14, 2026
Faber, 23, signed an eight-year, $68 million extension in 2024 and has no trade protection until 2030-31.
He is one of the best young defensemen in the league and would immediately be one of the most coveted players in any package the Maple Leafs receive.
Adding Faber alongside Wallstedt, Danila Yurov, and picks would give Toronto a legitimate foundation to build a rebuild around rather than simply a collection of secondary pieces.
It's extremely unlikely it happens, but never say never.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
