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Maple Leafs’ Matthews Moving to Arizona? More Than Click Bait

Matthew Tkachuk was traded last night. What might this trade mean for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews?

The Matthew Tkachuk trade late last night to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a first-round pick shows the kind of power an NHL star might have if he doesn’t want to be with a particular team any longer. Now that Tkachuk forced the Calgary Flames into moving him before he walked, it offers a lesson in what kind of surprises can jump up to fool any NHL team.

Huberdeau Weegar Tkachuk trade
Huberdeau Weegar Tkachuk trade

Tkackuk was an RFA (restricted free agent); and, in a recent conversation with the Flames, he let it be known that he would not be signing a long-term extension with the team. The Flames did the right thing and moved him almost immediately.

There’s a lot going on in this trade; but, for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it is a cautionary tale that might offer a fair warning about what Auston Matthews could do – if he so chose to.

Related: Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies: Zach Hyman-Like Power Forward

How Might This Apply to the Maple Leafs?

There’s some question that has been lingering in the background since Matthews signed his current contract whether he might want to return to Arizona where he grew up when that contract expired. Now, in light of Tkachuk’s being moved last night, the question rushes into the forefront. Will Matthews choose to leave Toronto?

The answer is, who knows? He seems to like playing in Toronto with the Maple Leafs. He’s big enough – in mental strength and on-ice skill – to fit Toronto well. He’s not shy or cowed by the chance to be in a fishbowl that’s called Toronto.

Matthews re-signing in Toronto is a legitimate possibility; and, perhaps even a likelihood. It would be my hope as a writer who covers the team. He’s amazing as a player. It would also be good for Canada and the city of Toronto, which would take a hit in its status should Matthews decide to pack up and head home.

Matthews Moving to Arizona Is Not Just Click Bait: It Could Happen

Still, all that said, his moving is not out of the realm of possibility. What would Maple Leafs’ management do a Matthews pulled a Matthew Tkachuk and came to the team to say that, while he loved his time in Toronto, he wants to move home to play in Phoenix? What if he feels that it’s his opportunity to really help establish hockey in the desert that he calls home? Or, what if it’s a financial decision because of the tax structure in the United States?

For whatever reason, even if Matthews loved his time in Toronto, what if he just wants to go home. If that’s the case, realistically this might be his last season with the Maple Leafs. He has the right to make that call, and he signed a contract that allows him to engage in that possibility.

Auston Matthews UD Card Toronto Maple Leafs MVP
Auston Matthews UD Card Toronto Maple Leafs MVP

I wouldn’t like it, but I also wouldn’t blame him. But I would blame the Maple Leafs’ management for not asking the question point blank before this season ended. Furthermore, if the answer comes back iffy or a no, not doing anything about it is really poor management. What the Flames did was exactly what had to be done.

The wise move would be to trade Matthews before he leaves for nothing. It would be simply wrong-minded to let him play out his season and then let him leave.

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Villeneuve, Hildeby, Scott & Anderson

The Financial Reason to Move Home to Phoenix

As I say, there might be at least three reasons why Matthews might move home. To review, first, he just might want to go home. Second, he might want to take the lead in firmly establishing hockey in his home city. Third, he might want to set up his financial future.

Considering his financial future, one of the readers on my The Hockey Writers post shared his knowledge of Arizona’s tax rate. Taking him at his word, he noted that the tax rate for income was 4.17% and 4.5% for high-salaried workers. In Ontario, he noted, the rate is 12.17% and 13.17%.

That means, according to his figuring, if a hockey player signed a seven-year contract that paid him about $13 million over those seven years ($1.857 million per year), his income tax in Arizona would be $83,000. However, in Ontario, it’s $244,585. That player would save $161,014 each year over those seven years – about $1 million.

Of course, Matthews would be making closer to $13 million a year. His savings would be about $10 million over the seven years.

Is Trading Matthews the End of the World?

Say the unthinkable would happen and Mathews announced he didn’t want to return to Toronto and the Maple Leafs. Would that be the end of the world for the Maple Leafs?

The fact is that losing Matthews is NOT a pleasant thought. But, at the same time, the Arizona Coyotes might be the best receiving team for a Matthews trade from a Maple Leafs’ perspective. Look what the return was from the Panthers for Tkachuk.

Auston Matthews NHL Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews NHL Toronto Maple Leafs photo by Azadeh Kashani wiki commons

There’s no doubt that the Coyotes management would jump at the chance to have Matthews as the team’s captain and cornerstone. They would also have a large number of good draft picks and/or prospects that could help the Maple Leafs – both immediately on the ice and by creating some space on the salary cap. It would free up plenty of other opportunities.

Will Matthews Be Traded? Who Knows?

As I say, trading away Matthews would not be the option the team would likely relish; however, it would be an option. And, if the Tkachuk trade is any indication, it would likely produce a good return.

Is it something that will happen? Perhaps not. Is it something that could happen? Certainly.

Related: WHICH MAPLE LEAFS’ GOALIES ARE BETTER? MURRAY+ OR CAMPBELL+

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Afp1961

    July 23, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    Jim
    I wrote a piece a day after gaudreau signed for CBJ and it was reinforced by the Tkachuk trade.

    Bettman and the NHL should be alarmed by what is happening. It’s akin to the great resignation across all industries where employees are taking a far greater and more aggressive approach to work life balance and employment in general than ever before.

    Compounding that is the Russia Ukraine war which had an impact on the number of Russians selected this past draft.

    As we see more US born players head south, just like we sometimes see SW Ontario boys come back to Toronto, geopolitics and geoeconomics will come more into play.

    I predict unfortunately we will see more Canadian based teams trade, and draft more Canadian players followed by Europeans than ever before. It may be a slight change over several years but it will happen. Canadian teams will not want to risk facing the potential Gaudrea Tkachuk dilemma. Some teams will interview intensely trying to figure out a players thinking but in the end the allure may be too great down the road to ever be predicted through psychometric assessments. Teams may just avoid the entire risk…..time will tell if my supposition is correct.

  2. Pingback: Whatever Happened to ex-Maple Leafs' Jeremy Bracco?

  3. Pingback: Whatever Happened to ex-Maple Leafs’ Jeremy Bracco? – Hockey 1 on 1

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