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Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Maple Leafs Should Not Consider Trading Auston Matthews

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jesse Courville-Lynch | Last updated May 21, 2025 8:35 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in seven games this postseason, and fans were quick to place the blame on some of their superstars. Mitchell Marner faced his fair share of criticism, despite playing well at both ends of the ice throughout the series, and even head coach Craig Berube was criticized for some of his choices. The player who may have faced the most criticism though, was Auston Matthews, and now his name is being tossed around in trade speculation.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggested the Maple Leafs could consider trade offers for Matthews, and while it’s unlikely, they could bring back a massive trade package in return if they were open to moving him to a team willing to take on his full contract. However, there is no logical reason the Maple Leafs should consider trading him, nor is there any way they would be able to get a fair return in any trade. They will be dealing with some changes this offseason, but they don’t have to just blow it up for the sake of making changes.

Maple Leafs Will Make Changes, Matthews Should Stay

Fans are already preparing for some huge changes this summer, so speculation with the rest of their players does make sense. Marner is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), John Tavares needs a new contract and is also a pending UFA, and Matthew Knies is up for a new contract and while he is a restricted free agent (RFA), teams could consider getting aggressive in free agency and sending him an enticing offer sheet that the Maple Leafs won’t be able to match. With all of those things up in the air, Matthews is someone they shouldn’t even think about trading.

Matthews, who is 27 years old, has established himself as one of the NHL’s best pure goal scorers and also plays a solid defensive game. This season, he scored 33 goals and added 45 assists for 78 points through 67 games, which comes out to a 1.16 points-per-game average. Throughout his career, he has scored 401 goals and added 326 assists for 727 points through 629 games, which comes out to a 1.16 points-per-game average. His playoff production isn’t as strong but it is still solid, having scored 26 goals and adding 33 assists for 59 points through 68 games, which comes out to a 0.87 points-per-game average.

In the 2023-24 season, he was able to score an incredible 69 goals and while he was dealing with some injury issues this season, he still played at an elite level at both ends of the ice. While he didn’t sign a long-term contract extension with the Maple Leafs, there is no reason to believe he doesn’t want to remain a member of the Maple Leafs. Fans criticized his comments after their Game 7 loss when he seemed to blame his injuries for his down season, but he seemed excited about the possibility of running it back with the same group next season, adding that he loves Marner as a teammate.

At the end of the day, the Maple Leafs have to make some changes. Whether they blow it up and bring in an entirely new team next season, or they make some changes to their front office, they need to do something to fix their postseason issues. Even though they’re going to make some moves, Matthews should not be someone that even comes across as a potential trade candidate, regardless of the offer from any team in the NHL. His two-way game is elite, and his natural offensive play is not something you can find very often, trading him would be a mistake.

As the 2024-25 postseason moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.