Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is a lock for Team USA’s squad at the 2026 Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
Yes, he’s the no-brainer choice to lead the American squad on a quest to replicate the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
But for Maple Leafs fans, the club would be better served if Matthews stayed up. Now, I don’t mean this to say that Matthews doesn’t deserve to represent his country at the Olympics. He served as Team USA’s captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year.
We know he can handle the responsibility. He’s ready for the biggest international stage. But the broader issue is the toll the Olympics will take on him. Assuming the Americans make it to at least the semi-final round, that could mean an extra half-dozen games, plus travel and practice that Auston Matthews will need to handle.
Sure, he’s an elite athlete. His training is tailored to handle such demands. But the bottom line is that we don’t know if Matthews will carry any lingering issues into next season. Matthews was clearly injured last season. He tried to play through it, but just wasn’t himself.
We could over-rationalize how Matthews at 70% is far better than most players at their full potential. But that’s not what the Maple Leafs are paying for. That’s not why they named him captain.
If Auston Matthews is seriously hurt next season, even if he’s playing through pain and discomfort, he would be better off sitting out the 2026 Olympics.
Maple Leafs' top-line duo could play together at Olympics
Matthew Knies was named to Team USA’s orientation camp on Tuesday. Knies joins a total of 44 invitees who could make up the United States’ final roster for the 2026 Olympics.
Assuming Knies makes the team, he should be the de facto choice to play with Auston Matthews on Team USA’s top line. The Americans could deploy an insanely talented top line featuring Matthews, Knies, and another power forward like Tage Thompson or Matthew Tkachuk.
Such a line would give opposing coaches nightmares. Of course, that’s assuming that Knies makes the team. He’ll have a tough time cracking the lineup, as there is a plethora of talent on Team USA’s preliminary roster and a fixed number of spots.
Knies will have to go up against other talented forwards like Cole Caufield, Kyle Connor, Jake Guentzel, and Jason Robertson, among others.
Still, a good start to the season from Knies could sell GM Bill Guerin on picking him for the team. If he makes it, there would be no reason not to deploy him away from Auston Matthews.
Team USA’s final roster will be expected around January 2026, with the Olympics set to begin in February.