League buzz explodes after source claims Auston Matthews won’t be back with the Leafs

Things are spiraling fast in Toronto, and now, the biggest question might not be who’s running the team, but whether their captain is on the way out.

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a stunning move earlier this week, relieving Brad Treliving of his duties as general manager after a disappointing season that could see the team miss the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. The shakeup has sent shockwaves through the organization and it may not be the last major change.

According to insider Darren Dreger, head coach Craig Berube has received “no indication” about his future, while team president Keith Pelley confirmed that the next GM will decide his fate. In other words, nothing is stable right now in Toronto.

But the most explosive development? Rumblings surrounding captain Auston Matthews.

Former Toronto broadcaster Howard Berger reported that a “good source” believes Matthews won’t be back next season. The same source claims a potential trade could send the superstar center to one of three teams: the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, or Utah Mammoth: destinations tied to his southwestern roots.

I mean this is Berger saying a source told him, and not a legit insider like Elliotte Friedman, but still, it brings up, again, a shocking possibility, especially considering Matthews still has two years left on his contract and holds a full no-movement clause, giving him full control over any potential destination.

To be clear, nothing is confirmed. Much of the speculation stems from the Leafs’ struggles this season, and the growing frustration around the team, highlighted by their lack of response after Matthews was injured on a controversial hit by Anaheim Ducks’ Radko Gudas earlier this month.

Still, the timing is impossible to ignore. A front office shakeup, uncertainty behind the bench, and now whispers about the face of the franchise possibly leaving. In Toronto, the offseason hasn’t even started yet and it already feels like everything is on the table.

You've seen it, everyone is talking about Matthews possibly wanting out.