Auston Matthews’ name is getting pulled into a conversation the Maple Leafs would rather avoid.
Toronto’s rough start has opened the door for speculation about how long Matthews will stay in the city, and Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin didn’t shy away from the issue in a column titled “How much more losing will Auston Matthews accept in Toronto?” after the Leafs fell 5-2 to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
“He’ll be 30 years old by the time next season starts. He has yet to escape Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in his career.
He’s made it clear that a winning team trajectory matters. And why wouldn’t it?
If the Leafs continue to slide out of the playoff race, then, the ripples of doubt about Matthews’ future will rise into a tidal wave.”
The loss was Toronto’s fifth in a row. The Maple Leafs are now 8-11-2, have won only once in their last eight games, and have been outscored 22-9 over that stretch, according to The Canadian Press.
Matthews, meanwhile, keeps producing. He scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season against Minnesota and now has 29 points in 21 games, which puts him sixth in league scoring. The center is coming off an injury-shortened 2025-26 campaign, but his own numbers have not been the issue during this skid.
His postgame remarks only added to the scrutiny around the team. Matthews said Hiller “usually doesn’t speak after games,” a comment that further highlighted the questions swirling around the first-year coach.
The contract situation is what makes all of this impossible to ignore. Matthews is 29 and will turn 30 before the 2027-28 season. He signed a four-year, $53 million extension in August 2023, carries a $13.25 million annual cap hit, and the deal runs through 2027-28 with a full no-movement clause.
He can sign another extension with Toronto on July 1, 2027. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency in 2028.
And then there’s the playoff history. Matthews has spent 10 seasons in Toronto and won the 2023-24 Rocket Richard Trophy after scoring 69 goals, but the Leafs still haven’t gotten past the second round with him in the lineup. Their closest call came in 2025, when Florida knocked them out in Game 7.
Matthews has not suggested he wants out. At training camp in September, he said, “my intent was always to be here.” Chayka has also said he wants Matthews to stay a Leaf for the rest of his career, adding that he hopes the day Matthews stops playing for Toronto is the day he retires.
For now, the focus has to be on stopping the slide. Toronto hosts Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday to wrap up its six-game homestand.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Have A Blue-Line Move Bigger Than A Rental
The Maple Leafs are still hunting for help on the blue line, and the talk around the deadline suggests they are not just looking for a stopgap. Toronto appears interested in a defenseman who can fit alongside the teams core for more than a quick playoff push, which is a different kind of swing than the usual rental chase. That makes the market a little more complicated, but also a lot more interesting for a club trying to solve a problem that has lingered beyond one season.
Names such as Cam York, Alexander Nikishin, Rasmus Sandin and Simon Edvinsson have surfaced as possible fits because of their age, contract situations and longer-term appeal. None of that means a deal is close, and the Leafs still have to find the right match if they want to turn interest into an actual upgrade, but the fact they are being linked to this tier of defender says plenty about how they view their next move. [Read more 🡒]
Why Gavin McKennas Role Just Became A Bigger Leafs Debate
The Maple Leafs skid took another hit in Minnesota, where a 5-2 loss marked their seventh defeat in eight games without earning any points, and it also put Gavin McKennas usage back under the microscope. McKenna skated just 10:37, his lowest ice time of the season, even though he has been one of the more productive young pieces on the roster with six goals and 13 points in 21 games.
Jim Hillers message afterward was clear enough: McKenna will have to prove he can be more than a scoring threat if he wants a larger role. The coach said the young forward needs to be a good all-around player and handle the grind of the season, which turns every shift into part of a bigger Leafs debate about how much responsibility he should be given right now. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Are Seeing Progress But One Problem Still Looms
A day away from the rink took the Maple Leafs into a different setting this week, with the club using the Blue Jays facilities as an off-ice workout stop designed to shake up the routine and give the group a little extra energy. Jim Hiller said the change of scenery can matter, especially when a team is trying to keep its legs and its focus sharp while working through the middle of the season grind.
Hiller also pointed to signs of progress in the Leafs recent play, even if the clean-up work is far from finished. Mistakes are still showing up, but the bigger message was about sustaining a positive culture and carrying that mindset into the next stretch of games, with the quality of the Blue Jays setup serving as a reminder that sometimes a different environment can help a team reset. [Read more 🡒]