RUMOR: Auston Matthews to California in exchange for two first-round picks

Marc-Olivier Cook
RUMOR: Auston Matthews to California in exchange for two first-round picks
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

A rather… surprising (?) rumor is currently circulating about Auston Matthews' future in Toronto.

According to a source cited by Howard Berger (who covers the Leafs), one of the three California teams has reportedly offered the Maple Leafs two first-round picks in exchange for the Toronto captain.

The identity of the team, however, has not been revealed…

At first glance, the offer may seem low for a player of Matthews' caliber. After all, we're talking about an elite center who has scored over 400 goals in the NHL and remains one of the top scorers of his generation.

But at the same time… we know he's just had two tough seasons, and people are talking about him as someone who might be on the decline sooner than we think. And with Brady Tkachuk having left Canada, we're all wondering if Matthews is the next American to follow in Brady's footsteps.

I wonder how the Leafs view his value… especially given what's happened in Ottawa over the past few days.

Obviously, this information should be taken with a grain of salt because there's nothing to confirm that the Leafs are seriously considering moving on from their franchise player.

On the other hand, John Chayka seems like the kind of guy who's willing to do whatever it takes to change the culture in Toronto. Could trading Matthews be the way to do it?

It also remains to be seen which California team would be behind such an offer. The Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings, and the San Jose Sharks all find themselves in somewhat different situations.

The Ducks are young and have the assets to become really good fairly quickly. The same goes for the Sharks (who are on the verge of a breakout with Celebrini), while the Kings are looking to find a replacement for Anze Kopitar as the face of the franchise…

But one thing is certain: seeing Auston Matthews' name pop up in trade rumors is already an event in itself. Since his arrival in the NHL, he has always been considered the cornerstone of the Toronto organization… but that may no longer be the case either.

For now, this story remains in the realm of speculation… but if the talks are real, they're likely to cause a huge stir throughout the hockey world.


In a Nutshell

– Great news!

– Well done.

– Interesting.

– I like that!

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