One of the longest standing sports tropes in the National Hockey League is that the Toronto Maple Leafs have won a total of two postseason series since defeating the Ottawa Senators in seven Games in the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.
If they can’t figure things out this season, what does it mean for the long-term future of team captain Auston Matthews?
If the Maple Leafs ultimately falter yet again, don’t be surprised to see the days of Matthews playing in Toronto numbered, according to a new suggestion from NHL Insider Kick Kypreos of The Toronto Star.
In a recent article, Kypreos cites the recent decision by Edmonton Oilers team captain Connor McDavid to sign a short-term, two-year contract extension that effectively symbolizes the window that Edmonton has to win the Stanley Cup, or that he could choose to leave town upon the completion of his deal.
“Matthews could be approaching the same territory Connor McDavid now occupies in Edmonton,” Kypreos wrote. “After this season, both superstars will have two years left on their contracts and the clock is ticking. Everyone on the planet understands McDavid has essentially given the Oilers an ultimatum: build a Stanley Cup-calibre roster or I’m gone. Matthews has quietly done the same.”
Kypreos then outlined several similarities in the career paths of McDavid and Matthews, noting that both will require proof and commitment from their respective teams to properly build around them in order to be convinced to extend their relationships on a long-term basis.
“What Matthews will need to reassure him that Toronto is the place to be long-term, much like McDavid is seeking in Edmonton, is proof,” he wrote. “He needs proof that the goaltending can hold, that the defence can defend, that the supporting cast can provide grit, push back on the opposition and execute when he’s catching his breath on the bench.
If the Leafs can build on this recent run and hunt down a playoff spot, it will at least push the inevitable Matthews conversation down the road.
But if they don’t, what will Matthews be thinking then? That’s the million-dollar question today. Two seasons from now, it might be a 100-million-dollar question.”
____________________________________________________________
Auston Matthews Signed A Contract With The Toronto Maple Leafs Through 2028
There was major speculation that Matthews could choose to leave the Maple Leafs as one of the most high-profile unrestricted free agent players in modern NHL history.
However, he put that speculation to rest in 2023 when he agreed to a four-year, $53 million contract extension that officially began at the start of last season and runs through 2028.
His contract carries a salary cap hit of $13.25 million.
____________________________________________________________
The Maple Leafs Have Only Two Postseason Series Victories Since 2004
Since their opening-round series victory over the Ottawa Senators in 2004, the Maple Leafs have recorded only two additional postseason series wins, along with multiple heartbreaking eliminations in decisive Game 7s.
Not only did Toronto fall in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to the Boston Bruins in 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2024, but the Maple Leafs were also eliminated in Game 7 of the second round of last season’s playoffs by the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers had previously eliminated Toronto in six games in 2023 following the Maple Leafs’ opening-round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Toronto also defeated the Senators in the opening round of last year’s postseason.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post NHL Insider Suggests Auston Matthews’ Days With Toronto Maple Leafs Are Numbered appeared first on Heavy Sports.