Auston Matthews feels like the perfect San Jose Shark doesn't he?
Throughout his tenure as captain, he seems more frustrated than excited and his personality has suffered. When was the last time we saw Matthews smile? If you do a google search of "Auston Matthews Smiling," the last time you'll see him smile was during the press conference where he was named captain, then after that it's been nothing but serious.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, as my reporting is all speculative but I think it's possible that the combination Craig Berube arriving, Mitch Marner leaving and his injuries have frusrated Matthews tremendously over the past two years, which is why his numbers are down.
When Matthews is at his best, he's one of the most exciting players in the NHL and as a Leafs fan, I would hate to see him go. He's given us so much joy and is the best player in team history that I've ever seen. The likes of Darcy Tucker and Gary Roberts are probably still above him as my favourite players because of my age, but Matthews is a "Mount Rushmore" player and it's crazy to believe that he's actually on our team.
During 2005-2016, we would have done unspeakable things to acquire a player like Matthews, which makes the fact that we've haven't won anything with him so frustrating. With two years remaining on his contract after this season, it's possible that we'll watch him walk into free agency and leave the blue-and-white behind, so wouldn't it be better to get ahead of the problem?
Wouldn't it make a ton of sense to trade Matthews while you can, rebuild the franchise and try again? That's a scary thought to lose Marner and Matthews within a one-year span, but it's not like they won with them anyway. Here's a hypotheical trade to San Jose and why it makes sense for both sides.
Toronto Maple Leafs hypothetical trade with San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks acquire: Auston Matthews
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Logan Couture ($8M LTIR contract), 2026 First Round Pick, 2027 First Round Pick and Michael Misa
The Sharks hit the jackpot with Macklin Celebrini as the young centre is not only a Hart Trophy contender already but made Team Canada's Olympic squad at 19-years-old. He's putting up point totals that are even better than Matthews' at his age and has changed the trajectory of the Sharks.
As much as the Sharks would probably want to hold onto Michael Misa, who was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, it's hard to say that Misa will ever be better than Matthews, who's won multiple Rocket Richard's and a Hart Trophy in his young career.
There are not many teams that would love to pay Couture's $8M contract to not play, but the Leafs have endless money so they wouldn't care. From a Leafs perspective, this may not feel like enough assets in return, but two first-round picks, including a young centre who just scored 62 goals in his last year of junior could really change Toronto's future.
Now that Celebrini has turned into the superstar he is, it's time for them to go all-in, and there's nothing more all-in than trading for Matthews. As much as it would kill to trade the best player in team history, the Leafs could easily sell Misa to the fanbase, as he's from Oakville and this trade could spark a retool that is desperately needed
If the NHL acted like the NBA, I'd say this trade is a real possibility but unfortunately this will probably never happen although it could be a big win-win for everyone involved.