Auston Matthews will be deeply engrained in Maple Leafs history whether he stays or not. It would assuredly be bitterweet, however, if he took his next step as a Hab.
While it would almost certainly never happen, a trade proposal sending #34 to the Montreal Canadiens has surfaced, and fans are rightfully having major reactions.
Matthews in Bleu-Blanc-Rouge?
The price for Auston Matthews would be very high, but the Canadiens do have some very desirable assets.
This proposal would send some major pieces to Toronto:
Using some of their new cap space from the Matthews deal, they could sign superstar sniper Cole Caufield long-term. They would get a top-pairing defenseman in Michael Matheson, and they would stock their prospect pool with an elite player at fifth overall.
The only question is: would either side make a deal with each other?