The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into their first offseason where they have missed the postseason since 2016, with a disappointing season, the Maple Leafs are expected to make major changes to their roster, with some that have the ability to alter the future.
Auston Matthews has been a big point of conversation this summer, with reports mentioning he is not able to commit to the Maple Leafs long-term, to later saying that his initial meeting with general manager John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin went well. If the Maple Leafs and Matthews were to go down the road of him being traded in the near future, Pierre LeBrun reports that there is one team that can stand above the rest in the Auston Matthews sweepstakes.
Which team could make a good run at Auston Matthews?
“If Auston Matthews watches the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason play out over the next five or six weeks and decides he’s not sure they are still a contender and says he’s open to a move, I would venture to guess Anaheim would be on his list of seven or eight potential desired landing spots. And the Ducks would have the pieces to make it work in a larger package." LeBrun wrote on The Athletic.
He later continued explaining who the Maple Leafs would target in return if they were to attempt to make a deal with the Ducks.
“One player who fits that criteria is 23-year-old forward Mason McTavish, which is a little obvious after he was scratched for two playoff games. I have zero evidence to suggest the Anaheim Ducks are the ones picking up the phone and calling teams about him. But I know for a fact that several teams have inquired about him.” LeBrun later added.
This blockbuster trade makes sense for the Ducks
The Ducks are a young and up-and-coming team that has a bright future. They qualified for the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2017-18, winning a playoff round for the first time since 2016-17. They also have a young core to build around, including Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, and Olen Zellweger. The Ducks are going to be a very good hockey team for a long time, and adding a player like Auston Matthews could be what they need to reach the next level.
LeBrun later added that this trade will likely not happen this offseason, and he isn't sure about when the timeline of an Auston Matthews trade would occur.
“All things being equal, I think it’s more likely No. 34 stays in Toronto for at least another season, but it’s just an example of the kind of scenario that the Ducks could potentially see come their way.”
If anything is for certain is that there will be major changes in Toronto, whether that is this offseason or over the course of the next couple of years. Could Auston Matthews truly be traded? I guess we are going to have to wait and see what the future holds.
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