3 realistic trade destinations for Auston Matthews.

We are almost entirely through the month of May and with the National Hockey League Entry Draft right around the corner we are still no closer to having any idea what the future looks like for Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.

Matthews shocked fans in the City of Toronto when he made comments during his end of season media availability that suggested his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs was in question.

"I mean, I can't predict the future," said Matthews at the time.

Of course that puts the new members of the Maple Leafs management team in a bit of a pickle, especially considering just how challenging it would be to move Matthews in a trade to another team in the NHL. With that in mind today I will be looking at 3 destinations that could actually accomodate a trade for Matthews, with all 3 teams on this list having both the salary cap space and the assests to make a Matthews trade become a reality.

#1 The Minnesota Wild

There are those who believe that Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has been laying the groundwork for the acquisition of Matthews for some time, with Guerin often quick to praise his Team USA captain and acquiring one of Matthews' close friends in defenseman Quinn Hughes earlier this year.

Guerin also stated that he has every intention of being just as aggressive this summer as he has been in the past.

"I won't sit on my hands," said Guerin during his end of season media availability.

The Wild are looking at just over $12 million in projected cap space for next season with several veterans coming off the books, but that also means that there will be roster spots that will need to be filled. Additionally the Wild will also have to consider the future of defenseman Quinn Hughes who could very well earn a record breaking contract from the Wild when he becomes eligible to sign a new deal next season.

Speaking of Quinn Hughes, the Wild did give up a ton of their premium assets to acquire Hughes in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks but still retain their first round pick in 2027 and 2028. Given that the Maple Leafs have neither of their draft picks in either of those drafts, that could prove to be very enticing to a management team in Toronto that is looking to retool their roster.

#2 The Philadelphia Flyers

A perfect storm lands the Flyers at the #2 spot on this list, not only because they have the assets and the space to make the deal but also due to the very specific nature of those assets. The Flyers are currently owed the Maple Leafs' first round pick in either 2027 or 2028 which in and of itself could prove to be the centerpiece of a trade.

In fact if the Maple Leafs intend to trade their top forward to a rival team, their own draft pick would be far more valuable to them than any other given how likely they would be to finish towards the bottom of the NHL standings in that scenario.

Combined with the fact that the Flyers have a talented young forward of their own in Matvei Michkov that appears to be having issues in Philadelphia and you start to have the makings of a very enticing package for Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka.

The Flyers are looking at over $13 million in projected cap space for next season and only have a few veteran players on expiring contracts. That being said the Flyers do have several players set to become restricted free agents such as Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, and they will likely eat up a significant portion of that space moving forward.

In the event Michkov was included in this trade his cap hit of $1.95 million would also come off the books giving the Flyers some extra wiggle room to get this deal done.

#3 The Los Angeles Kings

Kings general manager Ken Holland went all in ahead of the NHL's trade deadline this season and unfortunately produced very little results despite his efforts. Although the Kings did manage to secure a playoff spot they were quickly ousted in a sweep by the Colorado Avalanche, leaving real questions about which way they go from here.

If Holland continues to try to field a Stanley Cup playoff calibur roster than acquiring Matthews would make all the sense in the world, especially considering the retirement of Kings star centerman Anze Kopitar this season. Matthews would fill the void left by Kopitar with a genuine superstar level talent, although at a much steeper price. Kopitar was in the final year of a 2 year deal that carried an average annual value and cap hit of just $7 million per season, while Matthews would come in at a cap hit of $13.25 million.

The Kings would almost certainly have to give up centerman Quinton Byfield in order to make this deal a reality and for the Maple Leafs getting a 23 year old centerman in return for Matthews would be a pretty good start. Byfield has of course struggled at the NHL level as a centerman and did spend a significant portion of this past season on the wing, which has likely hurt his value somewhat around the league.

Byfield did have a solid season with 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points in just 79 games and carries a cap hit of just $6.25 million per season. Perhaps the best part for the Leafs however would be the additional years of control, with Byfield only set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2028-29 season when his current deal expires.

Would you pull the trigger on any of these potential trade deals? Let me know your thoughts on these potential destinations and more in the comments.