Report: Auston Matthews unsure if he will return to Maple Leafs next season

When things seemed to be starting to head in the right direction for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a report has emerged suggesting that captain Auston Matthews is not sure if he will continue with the Canadian franchise next season.

According to The Athletic's Chris Johnston, Matthews, 28, is unclear about his future in Toronto. "Matthews has two years remaining on his contract, but still isn't sure if he'll be back in Toronto in the fall, according to league sources," he reported on Tuesday.

How realistic is the Auston Matthews report?

Let's put things in context. Matthews has two years remaining on his contract with the Leafs and has a full no-movement clause (NMC). This means that the forward cannot be placed on waivers or traded without his consent.

This does not make it impossible for the Toronto captain to leave, but everything must be agreed upon. Again, it is not impossible, but it is a difficult scenario to imagine.

Toronto officially named John Chayka as the new general manager, while Mats Sundin became the new senior executive adviser of hockey operations on May 3. It seems that one of the first complex tasks for the new Maple Leafs duo will be defining their captain's future.

Toronto will have the tools to have a much better season next year. Not only because of the changes in the front office, but also because on Tuesday, it was confirmed that the Maple Leafs secured the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, despite having only an 8.5% chance of doing so, according to Tankathon.

The last time they had the No. 1 pick was in 2016, and the Maple Leafs used it to draft Matthews, precisely.