Any lingering panic about Auston Matthews potentially wanting out of the Toronto Maple Leafs' organization can be put on hold for now.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, the Maple Leafs’new leadership group had its first extended conversation with the captain last week. General manager John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin spoke with Matthews over a lengthy Zoom call, and early indications coming out of it are "positive."
Friedman had this to say:
"I checked with as many people as I could, and I was told that, right now, things are in a good place. There are still more decisions that have to be made here, but for the first lengthy meeting they had, I was told there was nothing that raised any alarms or raised any concerns, and right now things are in a good place between Matthews and the organization," Friedman said. "He has indicated that he wants to win in Toronto, and I believe that is the message that he has reiterated, and that is what the organization is going with. "Friedman - 32 Thoughts the Podcast
There had been plenty of speculation heading into the summer about where Matthews stood after a chaotic end to the season. Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade, Craig Berube was fired, and the front office was completely reshaped. Add in Matthews having two years left on his deal, and it naturally led to questions about his long-term buy-in.
An in-person meeting in Arizona was the original plan, but scheduling issues on both sides pushed it back. With the Maple Leafs staff tied up in interviews and draft prep, and Matthews still working back from offseason surgery, the conversation ultimately shifted to Zoom.
As Friedman reported, nothing about the conversation sounded tense or uncertain. In fact, the feedback was that things are in a good place between both sides. Making it seem like Matthews is preparing to return to training camp with the goal to win in Toronto. Which should calm a lot of nerves within Leafs Nation.
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