Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs are hopeful this season was a one-off. But he's noncommittal about hanging around for a retool or rebuild, because he needs a clearer understanding of what that means.
Speaking for the first time since he suffered a season-ending injury last month, Auston Matthews' left leg was still noticeably swollen and in a brace as he addressed the media a day after the regular season ended.
But the Toronto Maple Leafs captain, who said he just got off crutches recently, was hopeful that the worst of this rollercoaster of a season was behind him.
"I didn't think I'd be standing here today," Matthews said.
The question is, of course, whether Matthews will be standing here when the 2026-27 season begins.
Or, perhaps more importantly, whether he'll re-sign with the Leafs when his contract expires two years from now.
With a yet-to-be-hired new GM and perhaps a new coach, no one is sure what direction the Leafs are going to be going in after finishing with the fifth-worst record in the NHL.
That includes Matthews, who, after qualifying for the playoffs in each of his first nine years in Toronto, is optimistic the team can rebound and get back in the playoffs next season.
"I just try to be a part of the solution," he said. "I believe in the guys in this room and the people that we have here. Like I said, we're going to hire new leadership and new management, and there's going to be changes — that's just the way things go. But I think we're all hopeful that this is kind of just a one-off.
"We've seen it happen to a couple of teams. I think Boston is the latest example, but you hope you can bounce back and be in a better situation than this year."
Last season, the Bruins traded Brad Marchand at the deadline and finished in last place in the Atlantic Division. It was the first time in nine years that they didn't qualify for the playoffs.
But one year later, Boston is back in the post-season after grabbing the first wild-card spot in the East.
Like the Bruins, which have a core that includes right winger David Pastrnak, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goalie Jeremy Swayman, the Leafs will be returning with a core that includes — for now, at least — Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares. They also have Matthew Knies, who didn't take the step forward that many anticipated, as well as defenseman Chris Tanev, who missed 71 games because of a slew of injuries.
So maybe Matthews is right. Maybe with a little bit of health and some savvy off-season moves, the Leafs can rebound and get back into a playoff spot next year.
Then again, there is the chance that this year could be the beginning of another dark period for a franchise that, before drafting Matthews in 2016, had spent 10 of 11 years out of the playoffs.
If so, maybe the next GM will suggest the Leafs bottom out again in an attempt to replenish a cupboard devoid of top-end prospects.
A top-five pick in this year's draft would certainly help the Leafs' decision-making process.
That is, if the Leafs don't end up getting bumped out of the top five in the upcoming draft lottery, which would mean losing their first-round pick to the Bruins because of a past trade.
That's another way of saying a lot can happen between now and the start of next season.
But when Matthews was asked if he would be interested in hanging around for a one-year retool, he was noncommittal.
"I don't know," he said. "I don't know what that means. I think you have to have a more clear understanding of the what that means. Retool, rebuild — whatever it is — that's something that's going to be up to management."
In other words, this summer is not only going to dictate the Leafs' immediate future — but also Matthews' future.
The 28-year-old recently watched as his linemate and close friend, Mitch Marner, left Toronto for the Vegas Golden Knights last summer. That decision appears to be paying off, considering that the Golden Knights finished first in the Pacific Division.
So maybe these next two years will be the final two years that Matthews spends in Toronto.
Of course, there's no guarantee that Matthews will even make it that far.
"I can't predict the future," he said. "Obviously, there are steps that kind of have to take place. They have to hire new leadership and management and stuff like that. I don't really know. Like I said, I can't predict the future."
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