Insider Pitches Auston Matthews Trade to Western Conference Contender

Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs may be approaching a fork in the road. As wild as that would’ve sounded just a few months ago, a lot can change in a short amount of time, and that’s exactly what’s happened here.

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Since taking over as captain, something has felt and looked off with the two-time 60-goal scorer, and those concerns have only intensified early in year two of that experiment.

Whether it’s a lingering injury, adjusting to Craig Berube’s system, the loss of Mitch Marner, the pressure that comes with wearing the “C,” or some combination of all of it, things simply haven’t been working.

As a result, fans and people around the league have reached the point of seriously discussing potential trade scenarios involving Matthews—not just in the best interest of the Maple Leafs, but possibly the player himself. On Monday, Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos weighed in on the idea, suggesting that a deal of such magnitude would likely come in the offseason, and to watch out for the Los Angeles Kings in any potential sweepstakes. 

Kypreos said:

“I do believe that this is not something that can happen during this season, this is a summer decision… I think that there are places out there, and I don’t know if you want to hold me to this, but Auston Matthews to the LA Kings is the play. That’s the move. They’ve got Kopitar leaving, and they need somebody, and they kind of held out for the watch on McDavid. And I think if McDavid was LA Kings’ choice in a couple of years or as early as next year to trade for him, possibly then Auston would fall right underneath that,”

The 28-year-old Matthews is in year two of the four-year, $53 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs back in 2023. He’s been limited to just 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) through 30 games on the campaign thus far.

What Do the Kings Have to Offer for Auston Matthews?

If the Maple Leafs ultimately decide that it’s time to move on from this era and trade Matthews, then they better be getting an absolute haul back in return. 

Kypreos mentioned that general manager Brad Treliving should be aiming for at least three quality assets in any deal, specifically floating the possibility of two NHL-ready young players plus a first-round pick as the baseline.

Newmarket, Ontario native Quinton Byfield and Nepean, Ontario native Brandt Clarke immediately stand out as logical targets Toronto would push for in talks with Kings GM Ken Holland. Byfield, 23, and Clarke, 22, both align with a potential retool or reset, and each carries significant upside as former second-overall (2020) and eighth-overall (2021) picks, respectively.

Would that package ever truly match the value Matthews provided when at the peak of his powers? No. But given that we haven’t really seen it for much of the last two years, it may be time for Toronto to seriously consider what life would look like without him.

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