Auston Matthews' future in Toronto in question following eye-opening report
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The Toronto Maple Leafs keep losing, and Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin says Auston Matthews may reconsider his place in Toronto.
In a Friday column, Larkin argued that doubts about Matthews are impossible to ignore as the Leafs slide. Toronto has lost five straight at home, falling to 8-11-2, and faces the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Larkin laid out the reasons for the growing concern:
He'll be 30 years old by the time next season starts. He has yet to escape Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in his career. He's made it clear that a winning team trajectory matters. And why wouldn't it? If the Leafs continue to slide out of the playoff race, then, the ripples of doubt about Matthews' future will rise into a tidal wave.
A Star Thriving on a Struggling Team
The irony is that Matthews is playing some of his best hockey in years. He has 12 goals and 29 points through 21 games, putting him sixth in league scoring, after a down, injury-interrupted 2025-26.
Yet the individual surge has done little to lift a roster that finished last in the Atlantic Division a year ago and is off to a worse start this time.
Why the Timing Matters
Matthews is signed through the 2027-28 season and becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2027.
General manager John Chayka spent the offseason retooling the roster, adding Darren Raddysh, Sergei Bobrovsky and Kirill Marchenko in an effort to convince the captain to stay.
Chayka also handed out several two-year deals expiring alongside Matthews' contract.
Matthews has stayed upbeat publicly, though he admitted after Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild that the confidence has taken a hit. Larkin wondered whether the Leafs must consider firing coach Jim Hiller or even call Vegas about Bruce Cassidy.
For now, the Leafs face a daunting test against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers. Another loss would only feed the questions about where Matthews' long-term future lies, and the pressure on Chayka to act would grow.
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