- Friedman: would be surprised if Matthews isn’t a Leaf next season
- Matthews has two years left at $13.25M, and Toronto landed the No. 1 pick
- Read below for what Matthews wants from Chayka before he commits
Elliotte Friedman doesn’t see Auston Matthews leaving Toronto.
He appeared on NHL Network on Monday and said the captain wants to win, but Matthews wants to know how the new front office plans to pull it off. Friedman would be surprised if Matthews isn’t back in a Leafs sweater when the puck drops in October.
Here’s Friedman’s full read:
Matthews has two years left on a deal that pays him $13.25 million against the cap, so this isn’t a contract negotiation. It’s a captain who’s been here a decade and wants to see where the franchise is heading before he signs off on another summer.
Two weeks ago, the Leafs grabbed an unexpected lifeline when they jumped to first overall in the NHL Draft Lottery, putting them in line for Gavin McKenna at No. 1. That’s the kind of asset that gives John Chayka real flexibility in the draft room and on the trade market.
That lottery win alone doesn’t move the needle for Matthews, though. Per Friedman, the captain needs to see what gets done with the pick, what happens with the cap, and how Chayka and Mats Sundin sell him on a path back to being a contender. Matthews already told reporters at his exit interview he was looking for real action, not another speech.
Firing Craig Berube was the first real swing of the new regime:
Toronto closed last season on a 7-game skid and finished 32-36-14 for 78 points, a 30-point drop from the year before. That’s the mess Chayka and Sundin took over from Brendan Shanahan, and it’s the mess they have to clean up between now and training camp.
Bottom line per Friedman: Matthews stays. Chayka’s job is to keep it that way through October.
