NHLTR: 5 Teams Linked to Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Offseason Trade
The Auston Matthews saga continues as there's reports heading in just about every direction regarding his future as Toronto Maple Leafs captain.
Most recently, Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco commented on Matthews' future in Toronto, and suggests that if John Chayka and Matthews can't get on the same page, an offseason trade is coming, and there's five teams to keep on everyone's radar.
Matthews has two seasons left on his contract, but after a disastrous season this past year, with the GM and coach getting fired, there's been plenty of speculation on what Matthews wants to do heading into the 2026-27 season. Reports from demanding two mobile defenceman and a right winger with some bite to their game, to Matthews closing the book on Toronto already, there's been plenty of buzz surrounding the Maple Leafs this summer, despite them not even sniffing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As for potential trade destinations, here's where Di Marco sees Matthews contemplating for his next chapter:
San Jose Sharks
From a pure assets perspective, the Sharks may have the ability to outbid any other team looking to trade for Matthews. The Leafs need young centers and high draft picks; it just so happens that the Sharks have plenty of both. If Sharks GM Mike Grier phoned Chayka and started the conversation with 2025 first-round pick Michael Misa and the second overall selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, it would be hard to fathom another team matching those top-tier assets.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings could certainly get a conversation going if they started off with Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke. The Leafs would get a young forward who *could* play center (though Byfield has spent a lot of time on the wing) and a young, right-shot defenseman with an offensive upside – arguably the two things the Leafs need the most.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers don’t have a young center who can jump into the lineup to offer up, but a name like Matvei Michkov is one that would likely have Chayka listening. This is not to say the Flyers are shopping Michkov, but it sounds like a player of Matthews’ caliber could make the Flyers consider moving players they ideally wouldn’t want to. Oh, and the Flyers also hold the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2027 (or 2028, though the ruling remains in dispute), which could be part of this deal and move the needle for Toronto.
Utah Mammoth
Utah GM Bill Armstrong has done a remarkable job stockpiling young talent over the last six years, specifically drafting centermen. They locked up 2022 first-round pick Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz to long-term deals over the last eight months, so those two aren’t going anywhere. But that still leaves Barrett Hayton and high-end forward prospects Caleb Desnoyers, Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin. Oh, and Clayton Keller has a lot of Marner-type qualities in his game and is a close friend of Matthews, having coming up with him in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
Minnesota Wild
They don’t have what they once did, but the Wild could still offer up young pivots in Charlie Stramel and Danil Yurov as a way to get the conversation going; they also still have a first round pick in 2027 and 2028, which the Leafs currently don’t. Above all else, from Matthews’ point of view, would there be any better landing spot for him in regards to chasing a Stanley Cup? Beyond that, is there any potential landing spot that would see him play with a better player than Kirill Kaprizov? It seems like everything comes up “Minnesota” in this particular conversation.
PHoto credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
