Dark-Horse Team Floated as Landing Spot for Auston Matthews

The Auston Matthews trade chatter has started to swirl, and while it shouldn’t come as a surprise—given all reports indicating he has big decisions to make this offseason—the rumors are emerging even earlier than expected.

Matthews has yet to make a decision on his future, at least publicly, and he likely won’t for a few months. That said, the longer this drags out without any talk of his commitment to the Maple Leafs, the more speculation will surface about his potential departure, as we’ve seen this week.

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Plenty of landing spots have been floated for the superstar center—from Minnesota to Philadelphia, and most recently, Los Angeles. However, one team that Jordan Schmaltz, brother of Nick Schmaltz, believes could be a dark horse in any sweepstakes is the Utah Mammoth.

Schmaltz said:

“I mean, look, I don’t have any skin in the game either, so I haven’t inquired or sniffed in terms of asking awesome Auston Matthews this question. I haven’t asked anyone in Utah this question. So I just wanna preface that first, but I just think they have the pieces necessarily to do that type of deal, I think they have the prospects. I think they have the young players. Pieces that Toronto would be looking for if they were to make a deal like that. Now, on the other side, I think Utah is a great spot. I think they have an unbelievable owner. I think like-minded people, in terms of Ryan Smith and Auston Matthews, could be a fit. I’m not saying it is, but I do think that would be a really good fit, and they have the assets like I said, and the younger players to make that happen if Auston Matthews were to ask to leave Toronto. Now, do I think Matthews is gonna leave this year? I don’t know. I don’t think he’s there yet. I think he wants to see it through in terms of what they do in the off-season, but I do think a dark horse would be the Utah Mammoth for sure,”

The 28-year-old Matthews will enter year three of the four-year, $53 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2023 next season, eligible to extend again on July 1, 2027. He finished the 2025-26 campaign with 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in just 60 games played.

Everything Schmaltz highlights is very valid, and the Mammoth will absolutely be a team to watch for should Matthews decide he’d like a change.

Cap space, assets, and a young team on the rise—with good friend and American teammate Clayton Keller—connect a lot of dots for a potential deal to make sense, not just for Utah, but also for Toronto if they ultimately are forced to move their captain.

The biggest question, however, remains whether GM Bill Armstrong and company will actually get the opportunity to pry him away from the Maple Leafs

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