The last time the Maple Leafs drafted first overall? In 2016, when they selected none other than Auston Matthews, who has recently been linked to trade speculation. While drafting McKenna could help change the narrative in Toronto following a rough 2025–26 NHL season, a report suggests the Maple Leafs may still need to show more in order to convince Matthews to stay put.

“Obviously, the first overall pick is a good sign. There’s a lot more that has to happen with respect to [Matthews]. There’s a lot more that has to happen with the Leafs, in terms of what additional moves they’re going to make,” David Pagnotta said during an appearance on Leafs Morning Take. “Across the board, these are all positive signs.”

Maple Leafs have work to do

Not all of the Maple Leafs’ struggles will magically disappear after the 2026 NHL Draft (June 26–27). Some might argue the work is only just beginning for the revamped front office in The Six.

Having a strong free-agency period will be crucial. In the meantime, the Buds will have to keep their heads on a swivel, as a trade request from Matthews could catch them off guard at any moment.

Fortunately for Toronto, four lottery balls made life much easier and allowed the organization to breathe a sigh of relief. If there truly was a serious danger of the captain jumping ship, McKenna appearing on the horizon may have the Maple Leafs shouting, “Land ho!”

Toronto needs more help aside from McKenna

Needless to say, drafting McKenna (or Ivar Stenberg) with the first overall pick would go a long way for the Maple Leafs to bounce back after their 32-36-14 finish in 2025-26. Still, no team that ever finishes in second-to-last place in a conference is just one player away from becoming a Stanley Cup contender. Matthews knows that, so he wants to see his club actually invest to overturn the recent struggles.

Toronto needs help across the board. Trying to convince Maple Leafs fans that drafting McKenna isn’t the right move would be senseless—and probably a lost cause. Still, there’s a legitimate argument to be made that the Buds’ biggest need actually lies on the blue line—and not on the wing, where McKenna makes a living.

The Maple Leafs could certainly use a high-end defensive prospect who could eventually join the team’s top pairing at Scotiabank Arena. Perhaps a right-handed defenseman like Chase Reid would be a perfect fit in Toronto. Had the Leafs landed the No. 2 pick, there might be a more serious debate about that possibility. However, with the first overall selection, the odds of them drafting anyone other than McKenna appear extremely low.

Maple Leafs’ prospects

As things stand, Toronto’s top prospects are winger Easton Cowan, right-shot defenseman Ben Danford, and goaltender Dennis Hildeby. The moment the Buds announce their first-round pick at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, that player will immediately jump to the top of the organization’s prospect rankings—whether it’s McKenna or Stenberg, the two most obvious candidates.

Anything can happen, but it appears GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor of hockey operations Mats Sundin won’t overthink the decision and will instead select the player who has long been considered the consensus No. 1 pick.

“Matthews still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in Toronto in the fall, according to league sources. That remains the case after Chayka and Mats Sundin were hired to run a revamped front office,” as reported by Chris Johnston on The Athletic.

Chayka is the third GM Matthews will have worked with on the Leafs. When Kyle Dubas and Brad Treliving were hired, Matthews signed extensions on relatively short notice with the Buds. The third time may not be the charm, though.

Matthews may ask out

As much as Matthews loves being the captain of the highest-valued organization in the league, he wants to win a Stanley Cup. He will turn 29 before the 2026–27 NHL campaign, and the championship window may be narrower than it’s ever been since he arrived in Toronto.

Since being drafted first overall in 2016, Matthews and the Maple Leafs have been through a lot. However, they’ve never made it past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 2026, Matthews and the Buds failed to make the postseason—for the first time in the captain’s career.

As much as the front office may try to convince fans and players otherwise, hoisting Lord Stanley in the near future looks virtually impossible for the Buds. Coming off a deflating campaign in which Toronto finished 28th in the NHL standings, Matthews has reason to believe his time in Hogtown has reached its end.

Matthws’ contract situation with Maple Leafs

Matthews agreed to a four-year, $53 million extension in Toronto back in 2023, only months after Treliving was hired as GM. Under his contract, Matthews is signed through the 2027–28 NHL season. That should keep Chayka and the Maple Leafs calm, but it’s not that simple.

Matthews is signed to a full no-movement clause, but if he asks out, the Maple Leafs will essentially have no choice but to listen to offers and send Matthews to a place of his preference. There were concerns about Matthews wanting to leave Toronto, and the hiring of Chayka as GM and Mats Sundin as senior executive advisor of hockey operations may send the wrong message.

Things have changed for Matthews and the Leafs

Matthews put pen to paper on his contract when things were looking very different in the Six. The captain may not be as excited about the hiring of Chayka, which raised eyebrows due to the executive’s controversial history in the league and scandals surrounding his time with the Arizona Coyotes, who are now the Utah Mammoth.

Chayka has much to do with that relocation and rebranding. If Matthews is indeed pushed away due to Chayka’s hiring, he holds his fate in his hands. The Maple Leafs may be falling behind the eight ball.

Far from clearing all doubts and concerns, the Maple Leafs may have put an iceberg right in front of them. Matthews could jump ship before it’s too late.

Matthews is under contract through the 2027-28 campaign, but he still shied away from voicing a convincing answer on his future. This past season took its toll on Matthews—figuratively and literally, as he underwent surgery for a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion in his left leg. As the Maple Leafs stare down at a long offseason, Matthews kept his answer short and vague when asked if he’d stay in town in the event of a rebuild.

“I can’t really predict the future,” Matthews admitted, as reported by Sportsnet’s Anna Dua. The captain’s answer was much more cryptic than Berube’s. According to Dua, Berube stated he believes he’ll be Toronto’s head coach in 2026–27 and hasn’t heard anything from the front office to make him think otherwise.

Maple Leafs must hire a GM

Before the 2025–26 NHL season came to an end, the Maple Leafs fired general manager Brad Treliving—who will manage Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championships. Thus, that job is now vacant in Toronto. For Berube, it only adds to the suspense. His future as head coach of the Maple Leafs lies in the hands of whoever is named the next GM.

Until then, Berube can speculate about the future, but it may all be in vain. Moreover, the new general manager will have to get to work with Matthews. In the past, Matthews has been very welcoming to new executives in The Six. He signed a five-year extension in February 2019—less than a year after Kyle Dubas took over as GM—and another four-year deal in August 2023—only months after Treliving was hired.

This time around, Matthews isn’t eligible for an extension until the summer of 2027, but he could still choose to cooperate with the new GM and commit long term to the Maple Leafs. Or perhaps the third time will be different, and Matthews has learned his lesson.

Matthews wants the Cup

After all, Matthews wants to win. He’d love to snap the Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup drought, but if the organization trends in a different direction, he might lose his patience and ask out. If that day comes, the phone won’t stop ringing inside Scotiabank Arena, and whoever is the GM at that time may be left with no choice but to trade the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer. It’d be a dark day in Toronto, and a move that not many executives in the NHL may ever be able to live down.

The fact that Matthews isn’t trying to predict the future nor commit long term to the Maple Leafs may signal the Buds’ captain is thinking about it. It may not be today, tomorrow, or next month, but the prospect of Matthews requesting a trade is always looming over the building.

For the first time in his career, Matthews missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2025–26 NHL season. He had grown accustomed to long offseasons filled with drama after early playoff exits, but this is an entirely new feeling—one he didn’t sign up for, and one he may not stand much longer.

“Stand behind my own mistakes. I want to address it myself,” Gudas admitted about his decision to play through injury and be active against the Maple Leafs, via The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel.

It’s not the first time Gudas has opened up about the aftermath of his knee-on-knee hit against Matthews. Gudas recently returned from his five-game suspension and admitted to feeling terrible about Matthews‘ Grade 3 MCL tear and quadriceps contusion in his right leg. Toronto’s captain is out for the remainder of the NHL season, and his timeline for the 2026–27 campaign remains up in the air.

However, this will be the first time Gudas and the Ducks face the Maple Leafs since their last meeting at Scotiabank Arena. Many players on the Buds revealed they wished they had jumped in and intervened after their captain went down with an injury. This time around, it feels like they won’t make the same mistake. Orange County may be stained red as the stage is now set for a bloodbath.

The NHL is bracing for a grudge match

Though in opposite conferences in the NHL, there will be no shortage of vitriol when the Ducks and Maple Leafs take to the ice at Honda Center. Referees will have their hands full as Toronto will go after Gudas all night long.

Needless to say, neither Gudas nor the rest of the Ducks will serve as a training dummy for their uninvited guests. If the zebras don’t keep both teams at bay from the start, it will get ugly really quickly. Such is the anticipation around the league that president of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, George Parros, will be in attendance in “The Heart of the City”.

Opposite presents for Ducks and Leafs

The Maple Leafs are essentially eliminated from playoff contention. Losing their captain for the remainder of the campaign only adds insult to injury, and this chance at revenge over the Ducks may be the only thing left for Toronto to look forward in its schedule.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are sitting on first place in the Pacific Division and are just inches away from clinching a playoff spot. As much as they want to hold their ground and fight back the incoming Leaf surge, the Ducks can’t lose sight of the bigger picture. The Ducks can’t afford to miss key players and receive suspensions.

However, they can’t put their players in harm’s way, either, as the Leafs may unleash their wrath. With Parros in attendance, the league may be looking to make an example of this showdown. Toronto can live with suspensions; Anaheim simply can’t. In more ways than one, the Ducks face a conflict of interest, whereas the Maple Leafs are on a mission to avenge Matthews.

“I wouldn’t rush to assume anything about Auston Matthews’ intentions. There is much to play out before we get a true understanding of how he feels,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman wrote in his “32 Thoughts” column.

Toronto currently sits outside the playoff picture with a 31‑29‑13 record (75 points), a sharp drop from last season’s 102‑point finish. Defensive issues, allowing 3.44 goals per game, and Matthews’ absence with a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion have taken a clear toll, especially Radko Gudas revealed how he felt about Matthews’ season‑ending injury.

Rumors grow, but contract reality limits options

Trade speculation has linked Matthews to teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Minnesota Wild, as well as the Utah Mammoth. However, the reality of his contract makes any potential move highly unlikely in the short term.

Matthews holds a full no-movement clause and carries a $13.25 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season. These factors give him full control over his future and limit flexibility for Toronto, making widespread trade rumors more speculative than realistic.

For now, the situation remains fluid. While speculation continues to grow, Friedman’s comments highlight a key point: the noise surrounding Matthews’ future does not yet match the contractual and organizational reality facing the Maple Leafs.

“I really hate the way it ended up, the point of contact,” Gudas admitted, via Sportsnet. “I never want to injure anybody out there. I feel terrible about the outcome. I’ve got to learn. I’ve got to be better as a hockey player. It’s very unfortunate. I reached out to [Matthews], too. We spoke.”

Gudas’ reputation in the NHL has always centered around his aggressive playstyle. It’s no wonder he’s earned the nickname: “The Butcher”. However, the Ducks‘ blueliner has found himself in the eye of the storm recently due to two separate injuries to league icons, Sidney Crosby and Auston Matthews.

Gudas was involved in Crosby’s injury

During Team Canada’s quarterfinal matchup with Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Gudas finished a check on Crosby, who went down in pain. Contrary to Matthews’ injury, there wasn’t any sign of ill intent from Gudas.

It was more of a freak accident. Crosby was stumbling, and his leg got caught awkwardly. When Gudas hit him high, the lower-body injury occurred. Canada lost its captain and Crosby went on to miss the semifinals, the final, and 11 games in the NHL.

As a result, fans both in the Great White North and the City of Bridges made a public outcry against Gudas. For Canadians in Toronto, that sentiment was only magnified after Gudas injured Matthews in a play that looked ugly from the start.

Gudas’ suspension history

Due to his style of play, Gudas has often found himself in the receiving end of supplementary discipline and sanctions. So far in his NHL career, the Department of Player Safety has suspended him five times. Indeed, the latest is his first in over seven years, but it’s yet another warning about the Czech enforcer’s reckless tendencies.

This was the team’s official statement. “Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews underwent successful MCL knee repair surgery today in New York City. His recovery time is approximately 12 weeks.”

This update provides a sense of relief for Toronto, as the timeline suggests Matthews should be ready ahead of the next season if his recovery goes as planned. Still, his health will remain a key storyline, as the Maple Leafs look to bounce back and rely on their franchise player to lead the way trying to win the Stanley Cup.

Will Auston Matthews play next season for Leafs?

Yes. Auston Matthews would be ready to start the 2026–27 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs after a three-month recovery timeline was confirmed following the surgery performed in New York.

What happened to Auston Matthews?

Auston Matthews suffered a serious knee injury after a hit by Radko Gudas during the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Anaheim Ducks on March 12. Gudas was suspended for five games.

“Berube’s immediate focus has been on getting his players to come together and step up their physical play… getting in there for each other,” Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported, referencing head coach Craig Berube’s message following the incident.

Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion, ending his season and compounding what has already been a disappointing year for Toronto. Leafs report confirmed key Matthews injury update on surgery after hit by Gudas, adding further clarity to the severity of the situation. The team currently sits well outside the playoff picture, raising questions about potential offseason changes

Team response to Matthews injury raises internal concerns

The aftermath of the hit by Radko Gudas drew criticism across the league, particularly due to the Maple Leafs’ lack of physical response in defense of their captain.

That moment has since become a focal point internally, with Berube emphasizing the need for unity and accountability. The incident has not only highlighted on-ice issues but also sparked concerns about team identity and leadership moving forward.

Matthews’ long-term future in Toronto now under scrutiny

Even before the injury, discussions between Matthews and team management were expected this offseason. Now, with the team trending toward one of the worst year-to-year declines in franchise history, those conversations take on greater urgency.

With a no-movement clause and recent injury history, any potential move involving Matthews would be complex. Still, as the Maple Leafs navigate a lost season, the organization faces critical decisions that could shape its future around, or beyond, its franchise star.

The Toronto Maple Leafs star is expected to undergo further evaluation as the team and medical staff determine the best course of action. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, surgery is likely part of the plan moving forward. “We’ll see when it happens, but it sounds like surgery will be part of Auston Matthews’ recovery. There is still plenty of confidence he will start next season on time.”

Despite the severity of the injury, there is still belief that Matthews will be ready for the start of next season, which would be a major boost for the Maple Leafs in their quest to fight for the Stanley Cup.

Is Auston Matthews coming back with Leafs this season?

No. Auston Matthews is not coming back this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team confirmed that, after his knee injury, medical recommendations indicate that he will not return to play in the final stretch of the calendar.

Will the Leafs trade Auston Matthews?

A new injury to Auston Matthews has sparked rumors of a potential trade in the summer. In a rebuilding process, the Maple Leafs would need draft capital, and Matthews could be key to that. Additionally, after failing to win the Stanley Cup, Auston could be open to a fresh start. However, there’s nothing official on the matter.

“I thought the whole team was very competitive tonight. It’s a good team over there,” Berube said about the Maple Leafs’ performance against the Wild on the road, via NHL.com.

After ending their 8-game losing streak, the Maple Leafs have now secured points in three straight (2-0-1). If there is ever a slim beacon of hope for Toronto, this might be it. Berube and company know they must ride out this wave of momentum.

However—with Matthews sidelined for the remainder of the NHL season—the Buds are in for a steep climb if they want to get back in the playoff race. Some fans will tell you they rather embrace the tank, and who knows? Maybe Gavin McKenna falls right into the Maple Leafs’ lap.

What happened to Auston Matthews?

Matthews was injured after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks enforcer Radko Gudas. Gudas, who had already played a role on Sidney Crosby’s lower-body injury, has put himself in the eye of the storm once again in the NHL. As a result, Gudas was handed a five-game suspension by the Department of Player Safety, which Berube criticized after Matthews’ season-ending injury.

However, that’s little consolation for Matthews and the Maple Leafs. While Gudas will miss five games, Matthews will miss a total of 16 games in the 2025-26 regular season because of the injury. Matthews has sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion. Moreover, there are concerns on whether the captain will be fully healthy to start the 2026-27 season.

Shortly after the incident, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced a five-game suspension for Gudas. The ruling came the same day the Maple Leafs confirmed that Matthews suffered a Grade 3 tear of the medial collateral ligament along with a quad contusion, an injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.

Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver slammed the Gudas suspension and questioned NHL Player Safety. He argued that the decision damages confidence in the league’s disciplinary process.

Toronto head coach Berube expressed frustration with the decision. “Looking at it, we lose our guy, our captain for the year, I don’t know, it doesn’t seem like enough for me… guy doing it is a repeat offender, it just doesn’t seem like enough,” Berube said via TSN’s Mark Masters.

Maple Leafs players question the ruling

Several players echoed Berube’s concerns about the suspension. John Tavares said the penalty “could’ve been longer,” noting that Matthews will miss far more time than the five games Gudas received.

Forward Matthew Knies shared a similar view, pointing to the significance of losing the team’s top player. “Our best player, our captain, is not going to be with us for the rest of the year. That’s a big loss… I would’ve loved to see a little bit more,” Knies said.