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Different Blockbuster Makes More Sense than Trading Auston Matthews

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Garit Reid | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 10:28 AM ET

If the Toronto Maple Leafs had any thoughts on trading their captain, Auston Matthews, management should put them out of their minds. Only a few other players in the NHL might be considered better pure goal scorers than Matthews. He was built to score goals.

Talent You Can Build From

Like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Alexander Ovechkin, these are players you build a team around. The Edmonton Oilers didn’t trade McDavid during the years they missed the playoffs, and the Washington Capitals didn’t move Ovechkin when they struggled to make deep runs.

Generational talents like Auston Matthews are rare and nearly impossible to replace. If the Maple Leafs were to explore a player-for-player trade or a blockbuster deal, it’s highly unlikely they would get anything close to equal value in today’s market.

Matthews is the star Maple Leafs fans and management have long craved—and they have him. Now, they need him to produce, while surrounding him with the right supporting cast to maximize his goal-scoring ability. That responsibility falls on management to build a true contender in Toronto. Matthews also fills seats and drives business. While winning games is the top priority, having a superstar of his caliber is invaluable both on the ice and at the box office.

A Rebuild Will Hurt Leafs For Years

If the Toronto Maple Leafs decide to undertake a major rebuild that includes trading one of the league’s top goal scorers, it could set the franchise back for years. Replacing that level of offensive production would be an uphill battle.

Instead, the focus should be on improving the blue line. Addressing defensive shortcomings may be the more effective path forward, even if it means difficult decisions—such as potentially moving longtime defenceman Morgan Rielly this offseason.

If there is a coaching/management shakeup, then so be it, but trading players like Matthews away only hurts the Leafs’ chance of getting anywhere close to a Stanley Cup in the next decade.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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