It was a matter of time until the Maple Leafs' struggles generated trade speculation about Auston Matthews. Meanwhile, the Kings might not be done in the trade market.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a change behind their bench last week, replacing Marc Savard as an assistant coach with Steve Sullivan. However, some pundits wonder if they might have something bigger in mind for their roster down the road.
Last Monday, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos said he felt the Maple Leafs could talk to Auston Matthews next summer about the possibility of a trade if they fail to improve over the rest of this season.
PuckPedia indicates that Matthews, 28, has two more seasons on his contract with an average annual value of $13.25 million and a full no-movement clause. Kypreos acknowledged the latter meant the two sides would have to work together to find a suitable trade partner if they agreed it was time for a change.
Kypreos felt that a trade of the Leafs superstar would be more likely to occur in the summer, rather than during the season. He doubted the recent decline in Matthews' production would hurt the latter's value in the trade market. He suggested some teams don't believe the drop in his scoring is permanent.
As for potential trade destinations, Kypreos mentioned the Los Angeles Kings as a likely candidate. He pointed out they will be in the market for a replacement for team captain and first-line center Anze Kopitar, who is retiring at the end of this season.
Several obstacles must be clear before the Maple Leafs and Kings can pull this off. First, Matthews would have to agree to be traded to Los Angeles. Next, and most importantly, the Kings must find sufficient trade assets to meet the Leafs' high asking price.
The Maple Leafs would likely want a good young NHL center as part of any return for Matthews. They could target Quinton Byfield as the centerpiece of a package from the Kings, but the latter could be reluctant to part with the 23-year-old center. If so, the Leafs could opt to look elsewhere for a suitable return.
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Speaking of the Kings, Eric Stephens of The Athletic believes they're not done making moves after trading Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 19. He pointed out that they didn't get a player back as they originally intended, having to settle for a second-round pick in 2026.
The Kings were already struggling to score with Danault in the lineup, and his departure leaves them thin at the center position. Stephens suggested that the extra second-rounder will be valuable if the Kings can use it to acquire a veteran center who can provide immediate improvement. He suggested Ryan O'Reilly of the Nashville Predators and Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues as options.
However, the Predators have let it be known that O'Reilly isn't ready yet to consider a trade. The Blues are willing to entertain all their options, but the decline in Schenn's performance this season might not make him as valuable as he was a year ago.
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