Rumor corner: Kings favorites to land Auston Matthews

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Rumor corner: Kings favorites to land Auston Matthews
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

The Maple Leafs are having a difficult season. The club has a record of 27-24-10… and Toronto's chances of playing hockey this spring are dwindling by the day.

The Leafs have yet to win a single game since returning from the Olympic break.

This means that we can expect the club to be selling in the coming days. And in the last few hours, bookmakers have taken an interest in Auston Matthews.

According to various platforms, one team is clearly ahead of the others in the race to acquire Matthews if he is traded this week: the Los Angeles Kings.

He could also succeed Anze Kopitar as the club's first-line center.

Keep in mind that this doesn't necessarily mean Matthews will be traded. It remains a relatively unlikely scenario at this point… but if the Leafs decide to sell for good, the captain could bring in a ton of value.

Matthews is in the second year of a four-year contract that pays him $13.25 million per year. So he wouldn't be a simple rental player… but it's important to remember that he has a no-move clause. To be continued, then.

Robert Thomas and the Maple Leafs

Right now, everyone is watching Robert Thomas. The Blues center is the big name on the market, and we know that the Sabres seem to be the favorites at the moment.

The CH is also in the running… but we don't know to what extent.

But now, according to Darren Dreger, another Atlantic Division team has approached the Blues about Thomas… and it's a team that comes as a surprise.

According to the insider, the Maple Leafs have tested the waters for a trade that would bring Thomas to Toronto.

Dreger doesn't believe the Leafs have the assets to make it happen… unless a significant piece of their lineup is involved.

One might think, for example, that putting Matthew Knies on the table could be a game changer. But in reality, the Leafs' difficult season makes it hard to imagine a world in which they would pay top dollar for Thomas.

But we also know that Thomas is an Ontario guy and is under contract until 2031: if the Leafs intend to be competitive next year, it could be a defensible move.

The finalists for Vincent Trocheck

The New York Rangers are (by far) the worst team in the East this year. The club has a record of 23-29-8… and by sending Artemi Panarin to Los Angeles, the club has clearly revealed its intentions to be a seller.

And the club's big fish is Vincent Trocheck. The 32-year-old veteran is one of the league's best centers at the faceoff circle, and his 39 points in 46 games show that he is a quality second-line center.

Oh, and he only makes $5.625 million per year until 2029.

For a while now, it's felt like the Wild are the favorites in this deal. And according to Elliotte Friedman, that's indeed the case: Minnesota reportedly has the best offer on the table.

But the Rangers are waiting to see if the Red Wings or the Hurricanes will beat that offer.

According to Friedman, the Kings and Mammoth have also tested the waters, but it's unlikely to happen. What we seem to understand is that it's a three-way race between the Wild, the Canes, and the Wings… and that the Wild are leading that race.

Will Bill Guerin be able to get the center he picked as GM of Team USA in Milan? We'll find out in a few days.


In brief

– Cole Smith traded to the Golden Knights.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 4, 2026

– Interesting.

– I like that.

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