This season has been anything but good for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nearly everything about the season has been a disappointment, and it does not look like they will make the playoffs. With that being said, if the Leafs miss the playoffs, should they explore trading Auston Matthews this summer? With the current situation, there is no chance they have a better squad next year. The best move may be to move on and become sellers while they can get great returns. Let’s take a look at why the Leafs should trade Matthews if they miss the playoffs.
Time to blow it up?
The first move in changing up the core was when the Leafs dealt Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. At this point, that was the tipping point of the iceberg. Ever since that trade took place, the Leafs have not looked the same on the ice. The offence is nowhere near as dangerous, and the power play has declined. Looking at the remainder of the core, they are all in their late twenties or thirties. This season could certainly signal a rebuild.
Looking at the contract for Matthews, the captain will have two years left after this season. He has a no-movement clause, which means he cannot be traded without approval. Throughout his entire career, Matthews has always made the playoffs. This season, his first without Marner, could be his first time not playing playoff hockey. There is no doubt that this would cause the captain to think about his current status.
The exact same thing could be said for John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. Tavares is 35 years old and is still without a cup. A legendary player like Tavares should get at least one more chance to really chase down a Stanley Cup victory. Unfortunately, this likely would not happen in Toronto. I doubt he leaves anytime soon, though, as he just extended with Toronto this offseason. Rielly is on a tough contract and also has a no-movement clause. The Leafs defensive core is bad enough with Rielly in it, so it does not really help to keep him around.
Brad Treliving has helped lead this team into the ground just like he did in Calgary. Is he on the hot spot in Toronto?
The Olympic Games could boost his trade value
There is no doubt that Matthews trade value would be exceptionally high. Even with only two years left after this season, he could fetch the Leafs a fantastic return. A trade involving him would likely yield multiple first-round picks, two top-tier prospects, and at least one solid young roster player. It would likely be similar to the trade return the Carolina Hurricanes received for Mikko Rantanen. This was Logan Stankoven, multiple first-round picks, and a couple of third-round picks.
Even if the Leafs miss the playoffs, Matthews will have a prime opportunity to boost his trade value in February. The 2026 Olympic Winter Games are nearly here, and eyes around the world will be tuning in. If Matthews can stand out in these games, he will solidify his name in international hockey history. He has not had any luck in the NHL playoffs, so this is where he needs to shine. The forward had a rough go in the 4 Nations final as he missed his defensive assignment in overtime, allowing Connor McDavid to score the golden goal.
A bounce-back performance for his country at the Olympics is exactly what the Leafs organization needs. It could not only help build momentum after the break, but it could boost the trade value for Matthews through the roof. He has proved multiple times in the past that he can be the best goal scorer in the world. Will he do so on Olympic ice?
Who could the Leafs build around after?
If the Leafs were to go into a rebuild, it is likely that they would build around William Nylander and Matthew Knies. Both of them are signed long-term through 2030, making them committed to the franchise. Along with these two, lots of eyes would turn towards Easton Cowan, who is the top young player in the Leafs organization. Cowan was dominant in the OHL, where he was a part of a Memorial Cup championship with the London Knights. The young forward has yet to transition that kind of play into the NHL. He is only 20 years old, so there is plenty of room for growth.
Outside of Cowan, the only solid prospects the Leafs have are defenceman Ben Danford and Miroslav Holinka. Danford is currently in the midst of his fifth season in the OHL. He is on a stacked Brantford Bulldogs team that has other talents such as Adam Benak, Jake O’Brien, and Caleb Malhotra. Meanwhile, Holinka is having a dominant season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he has posted 62 points in 42 games.
One of the top prospects the Leafs had for a while was forward Fraser Minten. The Leafs selected Minten in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He only appeared in nineteen games with the Leafs before he was dealt to the Boston Bruins. This trade has recently haunted the Leafs as Brandon Carlo has been a massive disappointment for the organization. Furthermore, Minten is in the midst of a breakout season in Boston.
If the Leafs miss the playoffs, they need to acquire some kind of young assets in the summer. Is trading Matthews a potential option?
Marner obviously already decided to leave the Leafs, especially if they blew the playoffs last year and they did. The fact that the Leafs didn’t get substantial in trade is on Shanahan and Dubas giving him NMC for his last 2 years and then squabbling to the point where Dubas got out when Marner should have been traded. They got Roy at least and no doubt he is a better center than either Domi or Kampf! Kampf was on 4th center last year and Laughton is way better than him. So, the Leafs have the same 1st and 2nd centers and have upgraded 3rd and 4th significantly because of Treliving! Knies costs 6 mil more that couldn’t be spent elsewhere such as getting a better Marner replacement. Nylander, Robertson and McMann are better this year. Domi, Lorentz and Jarnkrok are still around. So, the top 6 is basically the same except for the Marner issue and bottom 6 is better because of Treliving and Berube. All of the same defensemen are still around except Tanev has been injured and OEL is playing amazingly better! Even a worse Carlo has been better than who they had before him! So, if the defense is worse, it’s because a key player in Tanev isn’t around and not because of Treliving. The goalies are the same and Hildeby is now ready to replace whoever is injured every week! Matthews has appeared to be MIA up until the break which is a few weeks before the Olympics and his hopeful gold medal as captain of his U.S. team. It’s seemed like night and day how he’s put in double the effort since the break. He hasn’t been nearly worth his 13.25 this season! That’s not on Treliving. So then, how has Treliving driven the Leafs into the ground?! Trading Matthews is not a rebuild any more than what the Panthers and Bruins did.