Report: Auston Matthews’ days in Toronto could be numbered!

It goes without saying that Toronto Maple Leafs superstar forward Auston Matthews is one of the best, if not the best, pure goal scorers in the National Hockey League today. And he’s been well recognized for his goal scoring exploits, having earned the Rocket Richard Trophy the last two straight seasons. 

Of course, the end of his current contract is within sight. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season, and the Leafs will certainly have their work cut out for them in terms of roster shuffling and bookkeeping if they intend to keep him with the team for the long haul. 

But could the reported contract demands price himself right out of town? Don’t be surprised, according to comments reportedly attributed to NHL insider Nick Kypreos.

Additionally, this could have a reported direct effect on the status of forward William Nylander: 

It goes without saying that the Leafs absolutely will not be able to keep all of Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Nylander under the current salary cap. Then again, if by some miracle they were able to do so, they would almost certainly have to bid goodbye to the likes of Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Michael Bunting, and others. 

Is general manager Kyle Dubas willing to sacrifice much-needed depth in order to keep their top four superstars wearing the Maple Leafs crest long term? This season is a crucial one for Dubas and the Leafs in particular, especially after so many first round disappointments. We'll certainly be keeping our eyes on what develops. 

Matthews himself had this to say about his contract status before the season began: 

"I appreciate the question, but I'm not going to be entertaining this question all year. I understand why you guys want to talk about it," Matthews said on Maple Leafs Media Day. "But at the same time, there's nothing that can be done. I'm under contract for two more years. I can't extend for another 10 months so I'll just kind of leave it at that."

"I think I've been pretty clear I've loved my time here," Matthews said. "I really like playing in the city of Toronto. I consider it home now."