After Brady Tkachuk: Auston Matthews

Do you know what the difference is between Brady Tkachuk and Auston Matthews? Matthews hasn't been traded from a Canadian team to an American team YET.

Because we all know it's bound to happen! First, the Maple Leafs won't let him go for nothing in two years, the way they let Mitch Marner go. Second, I don't see Matthews signing a contract extension with the Leafs.

John Chayka is hard to figure out, and the American stars who won gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics are pretty much all playing for teams south of the border… except for Auston Matthews, Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor, and Jake Sanderson.

Matthews and Hellebuyck have both been at the center of countless rumors for some time now.

Matthews did the Maple Leafs a huge favor three years ago by agreeing to sign a new four-year contract in Toronto even though he was on track for full free agency. However, the team was winning, and the future still looked bright in the City of Kings…

Here we are in 2026, and I don't even know if I'd dare bet $20 on the Maple Leafs making the playoffs next spring. The Panthers, the Lightning, the Canadiens, the Sabres… the Atlantic Division won't get any easier next year.

Matthews was born in Arizona. He spends a good part of his summers in Arizona.

He was evasive about his future just a few weeks ago.

The Toronto market stifles its stars when the team isn't winning. Just ask Mitch Marner…

I definitely see a scenario where Matthews will be wearing a uniform other than the Maple Leafs' in the short or medium term.

When that happens, we'll mainly have to look toward certain U.S. cities where the weather is nice year-round: Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, or Anaheim.

And since Matthews also has a full no-trade and no-movement clause, the Maple Leafs won't get the moon in return for Matthews. Especially if he continues to regress. Between the ages of 28 and 30, Matthews's point total dropped from 107 to 78, and then to just 53.