Auston Matthews’ name is suddenly sitting right in the middle of a harsh Maple Leafs conversation, and it starts with a simple question: how long does he stay if Toronto keeps sliding?
The concern around the team is obvious. The Maple Leafs are dealing with injuries, the coaching has been rough, their defensive problems are still there, and the outlook doesn’t look like it’s turning anytime soon.
For Matthews, that matters. He wants to be on a team that can win, and the current version of Toronto is not giving him much reason to feel good about that.
That’s why his trade potential has started to come into focus. If Matthews begins to have real reservations about sticking around, then a blockbuster deal stops being a wild idea and becomes something worth mapping out. And if Toronto ever went down that road, his value would be enormous.
Matthews is in the middle of a strong bounce-back season after two years of injury issues and limited production. Through 19 games, he has 11 goals and 27 points, and he looks quicker again, with the kind of finishing ability that made him one of the league’s most dangerous scorers in the first place.
That kind of production, paired with his resume, would bring back a massive haul. We’re talking multiple first-round picks and a return that includes a superstar forward and a defender. The idea would be to turn Matthews into future assets and young talent that could help build around Easton Cowan, Gavin McKenna, Kirill Marchenko, and William Nylander.
If Toronto ever decided to shop him, one team stands out as a natural fit: the Los Angeles Kings. They’ve been connected to Matthews before, and they have the kind of pieces Toronto would want in a deal.
Brandt Clarke and Quinton Byfield are the names that jump out. Clarke is a big, young two-way defenseman who could step into the kind of role Morgan Rielly has filled, while Byfield is a rising center who could join McKenna and Cowan as part of a dangerous young core. Both players also have zero trade protection, which means they couldn’t block a move or control where they go.
A proposed deal would send Matthews and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Los Angeles in exchange for Byfield, Clarke, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick.
Ekman-Larsson is included as a piece who could help the Kings right away and bring some salary relief, while Matthews’ current contract is described as being basically Clarke and Byfield’s combined value. If Los Angeles is all-in on winning now, giving up the picks wouldn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker if they believe those selections won’t turn into a superstar for Toronto.
For now, Matthews’ trade value is climbing fast. If the Maple Leafs keep stumbling, the pressure to make a franchise-altering move could grow right along with it.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Defensive Depth Search Just Ran Into A Rival Wrinkle
The Maple Leafs are still sorting through a thinning blue line, and the need for another defense option has only grown as injuries pile up. Torontos depth situation has become more urgent with Ben Danford sidelined, leaving the club watching the waiver wire for any help it can find.
One name that has surfaced is Cameron Crotty, who was placed on waivers by Minnesota after being claimed from Ottawa. Toronto could look to make a move, but the path is not clean, since the waiver order and Ottawas position in the process could complicate things before the Leafs even get a chance to act. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews Sends Frustrated Message As Leafs Problems Keep Growing
The Maple Leafs are still searching for answers after another uneven night, this one a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils that stretched their skid to three games and left them trying to steady a season that has already veered off course. Connor Hellebuyck was perfect for New Jersey, turning aside all 23 shots he faced, while Torontos issues with consistency and special teams again sat front and center as the club tried to explain why the same problems keep resurfacing.
Auston Matthews did not hide his frustration afterward, and his comments reflected a team that knows the excuses are starting to run thin. With injuries part of the backdrop, the captain said the current group has to take more responsibility for the results, a message that lands with extra weight when the losses keep piling up and the margin for patience keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Just Lost A Young Blue-Line Option At The Worst Time
The Maple Leafs were already looking for help on the blue line, and Ben Danford had been one of the young internal options with a chance to work his way into the conversation. Instead, the Toronto Marlies defenseman is dealing with a broken wrist and is expected to be out week-to-week, a tough break for a player trying to stay on the radar at exactly the right moment.
For Toronto, the timing makes the injury sting even more. With the NHL club already managing injuries on defense, Danfords setback removes a possible call-up candidate from the mix and leaves the organization weighing other ways to patch together its blue-line depth while he recovers. [Read more 🡒]