Maple Leafs Have First Offseason Meeting With Auston Matthews

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews

Ever since John Chayka and Mats Sundin were named as the new Toronto Maple Leafs management team, everyone has been anxiously awaiting their first meeting with Auston Matthews. Would the captain buy into what Chayka and Sundin were selling? Is his future still in Toronto?

According to insider Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the first meeting has finally taken place—but not in person. The meeting took place via Zoom.

At some point last week, there was a lengthy Zoom call. Matthews and I believe John Chayka and Mats Sundin were on it. It was their first in-depth conversation...
It's not like they're asking for Matthews' approval or anything like that, or he's making the decisions or anything like that, but I think it was the first time they could really have a conversation about what they're thinking and what their plan is and what their vision is and how they're going to do it.

And from all accounts, it was a "positive" chat.

"I checked with as many people as I could, and I was told that, right now, things are in a good place. There are still more decisions that have to be made here, but for the first lengthy meeting they had, I was told there was nothing that raised any alarms or raised any concerns, and right now things are in a good place between Matthews and the organization," Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast.

Matthews & Leafs' brass are 'in a good place' after first meeting

"He has indicated that he wants to win in Toronto, and I believe that is the message that he has reiterated, and that is what the organization is going with," Friedman added.

Chayka and Sundin still have to hire a new head coach, decide what to do with the No. 1 pick in next month's NHL Draft, and figure out how to address a number of other key roster decisions.

Matthews has two years remaining on his $13.25 million AAV deal. With the disastrous season the team just had, including Matthews himself, many are wondering if he'll want to stick around to fulfill that time left on his contract.

For now, it seems that everything is status quo.

Matthews had the worst season of his 10-year career, with 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games, all career lows. His season ended early after a dirty knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas left him with a grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion.