- New Leafs GM John Chayka calls Auston Matthews a “happy captain” who wants to win in Toronto
- Matthews has two years left at $13.25 million and said in April he “can’t predict the future”
- Read below for Chayka’s full combine availability and what comes next for Toronto
Auston Matthews still wants to win in Toronto.
That’s the read from new Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka, who fielded questions about his captain’s future Friday at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.
Chayka was asked where things stand with Matthews after a season that ended without a playoff spot. He didn’t hedge.
“We’ve had several conversations with him and his representatives, and what I saw was a happy captain,” Chayka said. “Someone who’s got a lot of pride to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Someone who wants to win in Toronto, which aligns with how we’re thinking about it.”
Watch Chayka’s full media availability:
Chayka took over May 3, weeks after the Leafs fired Brad Treliving on March 30. Hall of Famer Mats Sundin came aboard as a senior adviser around the same time.
Toronto finished last in the Atlantic at 32-36-14 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. That was the year before the Leafs took Matthews first overall.
Matthews hasn’t been as definitive. Talking to reporters in April, with the front office still in flux, he kept the door open without promising anything.
“I can’t predict the future,” Matthews said then. “There’s steps that kind of have to take place. They’re going to hire new leadership in management and stuff like that. So, you know, I don’t really know.”
The 28-year-old has two years left on the four-year, $53 million deal he signed in 2023, a $13.25 million cap hit. He owns the franchise goal record at 428 and missed the final 16 games this season with a grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in his left leg.
Matthews wasn’t the only topic in Buffalo. Chayka covered the No. 1 pick and the coaching search too:
Chayka said there’s no timeline on a new head coach and that Toronto will take the best player available with the top selection. He also confirmed the front office has spent the past few weeks meeting with players, Matthews included.
The conversations track with earlier reporting. Last month, Elliotte Friedman said Matthews came out of a Zoom call with the new group in a good place.
A coaching hire and a busier roster are the next steps. Chayka likes what he’s hearing from his captain, and Matthews hasn’t said a word to contradict him.
