Penguins Insider Says Pittsburgh Makes a Ton of Sense for Auston Matthews

Enter a new and potentially fascinating landing spot should Auston Matthews decide he wants to leave Toronto this offseason: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Matthews joining a team with the likes of veteran superstars who are still going strong in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson is intriguing enough; add a possible reunion with former GM Kyle Dubas, and things get even more interesting.

We still don’t know whether the Maple Leafs captain will, in fact, become available, but if that does happen, Penguins insider Josh Yohe expects Dubas to be right in the mix.

Yohe wrote:

“There’s the question I’ve been waiting for. I don’t know what’s going to happen in Toronto, nor do I have a relationship with Matthews, so I don’t know whether he’ll want out. If he becomes available, I’d be stunned if Dubas didn’t make a call. The Penguins have the cap space and trade pieces to make a deal like that.

Two problems: Toronto would surely want Ben Kindel, and I don’t know that Dubas would trade him. As you noted, I also don’t know how eager the Leafs would be to trade their superstar to Dubas, who has been on the rise over the past year, as the Penguins climb and the Leafs fall… Still, Pittsburgh makes a ton of sense if Matthews wants to play elsewhere next season,”

The 28-year-old Matthews will be entering year three of the four-year, $53 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2023 next season. He finished the 2025-26 campaign with a career-low 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) produced across 60 games.

What Dubas has in his favor, as Yohe notes, is cap space, draft picks, and prospects—not only enough to acquire Matthews but also to provide Toronto with a legitimate offer to rebuild its roster.

Whether Matthews—who will have full say in where he goes—would be interested in Pittsburgh is another question. That said, what Dubas has done to turn the Penguins around in short order could make the team reemerge as an appealing destination for players around the league again.

Next: William Nylander Wants to Stay—Could That Impact Auston Matthews’ Decision?