Toronto’s Plan to Get Matthews Excited About Staying with Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a franchise-defining offseason, and at the center of it all is captain Auston Matthews. With new general manager John Chayka taking over, the organization’s immediate priority is clear: prove to Matthews that this team can still contend—and do it quickly.

Maybe it won’t matter. If Matthews has decided that it’s time to move on and wants something different, the Maple Leafs are best off trading him and starting fresh. But, if he hasn’t made up his mind, and there’s an avenue to get him reinvigorated and excited about the future of the organization, how will the Leafs do it?

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Matthews isn’t expected to commit to the Leafs’ long-term vision until he sees tangible changes. What do those tangible changes look like?

1. Make a Coaching Change

Head coach Craig Berube may not be the right fit for Matthews. Under Berube, Matthews posted two of the least productive seasons of his career, often deployed in heavy defensive situations that limited his offensive impact.

A different coach and a more balanced system that allows Matthews to remain a strong defender but also take advantage of his elite scoring ability should get the superstar excited. Names like Bruce Cassidy could emerge as intriguing alternatives if Toronto opts to make a change.

2. Improve Roster Balance

Jonas Siegel of The Athletic argues that adding a reliable two-way center—someone in the mold of Vincent Trocheck or Charlie Coyle—would ease Matthews’ defensive burden. It should be high on the Maple Leafs’ priority list.

That kind of support would allow him to start more shifts in the offensive zone and focus on driving play, rather than constantly grinding in his own end.

3. Be Aggressive, But Smart

Chayka must walk a fine line between making change for the sake of change and making the right moves. Aggressive trades or signings are all well and good for an impatient fan base, but the wrong moves risk alienating Matthews further.

Every addition needs to clearly improve the team’s competitiveness in the short term. If the Maple Leafs are going to trade Morgan Rielly, what’s the return? If nothing, what do the Leafs do with the cap space cleared up? Can they trade Brandon Carlo for something useful?

4. Show a Clear Direction

Above all, Matthews likely wants to see a plan. That’s why so many insiders and analysts believe he won’t decide on his future until July, if not later. Who are the Leafs going to take with their top pick? What happens to William Nylander? Who is the next coach and why?

The Leafs must demonstrate they know exactly how to get back into contention and if it’s not this coming season, when?

If Toronto gets this right, the noise quiets—for now. If not, the possibility of Matthews exploring his options will only grow louder, potentially leading to one of the most seismic moves in franchise history.

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