Why Auston Matthews Will Leave the Toronto Maple Leafs
By Jeff Borsuk
Family
We’ve seen players like Leafs captain John Tavares come to Toronto in order to play closer to his family and where he grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona.
If this is Matthews most motivating factor then we can expect him to join the Arizona Coyotes. He would instantly become the best player that franchise has ever had, giving him even more reason to contemplate the move.
Disagreements with management
Besides what was learned about Matthews and former coach Mike Babcock disagreeing on playing time, nothing has come up about how the Leafs forward feels about management.
This is the professional approach. Matthews should continue to act in this manner. However, if behind the scenes he and the organization aren’t getting along, that may be enough to help Matthews make the decision to leave.
Coaching change
Leafs fans are fed up with the team’s inability to go deep into the playoffs. They have started to call for an end to Sheldon Keefe’s time as head coach. It’s unclear what Matthews thinks of his coach. He may love him.
If Keefe is out of the picture, does that entice his star player to follow him to a future team Alternatively, if Matthews agrees with Leafs Nation and wants Keefe out of the picture, he may choose to look for a change of scenery should the coach remain at the helm.
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Until Matthews re-signs with the Leafs, is traded (not at all likely in the near future), or signs a new deal with a different franchise, speculation will run rampant. Hopefully, he remains in Toronto for many more years to come.