Auston Matthews keeps separating himself from the rest of Team USA’s biggest names.
While Connor Hellebuyck confirmed Thursday that he asked for a trade from Winnipeg months ago, Matthews has not made that move with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That alone puts him in a different category from several of his American co-stars, especially with Toronto’s own struggles becoming a bigger talking point over the offseason.
The list of Team USA standouts who have already reached the point where staying put was no longer the plan is a long one. Quinn Hughes got dealt in December after making it clear to the Vancouver Canucks that he wanted out.
Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators eventually came to a mutual decision this summer that it was time for a change, and that led to his trade to the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin and Hellebuyck also made their trade requests public, with Hellebuyck’s coming on August 27.
The common thread is obvious, but the timing matters too. These weren’t moves driven by the Olympics.
They were about players deciding they wanted something different from their current situations. What it really shows is how much bolder American players have become about steering their own careers.
Matthews, though, has stayed the course.
He’s had chances to move on from Toronto over the years, but he has kept choosing the Maple Leafs. The team has built around him, handed him franchise status and the captaincy, and backed that up with a massive contract. He also has history there, and that has helped keep him in place.
Still, the clock is ticking. Matthews’ contract runs through the end of the 2027-28 season, and if the Leafs keep coming up short in the playoffs, the pressure around his future is only going to grow louder.
For now, he remains the outlier among the American stars from that Olympic core. By 2028, Toronto will know whether that’s just a temporary distinction or the start of a bigger decision.
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