NHLTR Mock Trade: Maple Leafs trade Matthews & Rielly to Sharks in Blockbuster

Keep an eye on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the course of the next few weeks.

Newly minted general manager John Chayka has been busy meeting with members of the organization to get a pulse check on the culture of the team, which evidently led to head coach Craig Berube getting fired, and now Chayka turns his attention to his captain, Auston Matthews.

Chayka and Matthews will meet in Arizona over the course of the next two weeks and if they're not able to get on the same page about the vision of the roster, and the head coach recruitment philosophy, Matthews could frankly ask out of his last two seasons as a Leaf. 

Chris Johnston has already reported this summer Matthews is unsure if he'll return to the Leafs, and if he's not able to get on the same page as his new GM, expect to see the San Jose Sharks circling the waters.

The Sharks have a ton of trade assets, they're going to add roughly $40 million in salaries this summer alone, and they need to add a couple of vets up front, and a few more proven NHL defencemen on the back end. The Maple Leafs align perfectly as trade partners for a blockbuster deal leading into draft-day in Buffalo in June.

NHLTR Mock Trade: Maple Leafs trade Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly to the Sharks for 2026 2nd-overall pick, 2026 20th-overall pick, Michael Misa, and Leo Sahlin Wallenius. 

These two teams couldn't line up better for a move, it would just come down to if Matthews and Rielly want to move to San Jose, and for Rielly, this includes his small family. While it's it California, which is a great place to play hockey all winter, there's no denying the fact San Jose isn't the most glamorous place to live. Matthews and Rielly have full control over their destinies as they both hold no-movement clauses, so far Matthews has been linked to Utah the most to join up with best friend Clayton Keller, meanwhile Rielly's been asked for a list of teams he'd approve a trade to, but so far, those on Toronto's beat are unsure if the Sharks are on the list.

Misa, and likely Chase Reid or Ivar Stenberg at #2 give the Leafs two cornerstone pieces of their franchise moving forward, should Chayka be forced into a rebuild. 

With how well the Sharks progressed last season and how much potential is oozing through their roster, don't be surprised to see GM Mike Grier swinging for the fences this summer.

Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images