The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into an uncertain off-season following a difficult campaign. Some observers wonder what the future holds for Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies.
Thursday was locker cleanout day for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While the players and coaches head into the off-season hoping to put their miserable 2025-26 campaign behind them, the rumor mill is churning over what could be in store for this team during the off-season.
Top of the list, of course, is the future of captain Auston Matthews. The 28-year-old center is two years away from UFA eligibility, but conjecture abounds about his intentions.
Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco recently speculated that Matthews could be among the biggest names in this summer's trade market. He felt that the Maple Leafs superstar's future in Toronto could depend on who becomes the club's next GM.
Matthews told reporters he loves being captain of the Maple Leafs but was noncommittal about the future, citing the club's efforts to find a new GM. He also couldn't say if he'd be on board with a one-year retool, saying he'd need a clearer understanding of what that means.
Some observers believe Matthews has left the door open for his departure. For now, however, he wants to find out what the new GM has in store for the off-season and the 2026-27 campaign.
Meanwhile, it's been rumored for weeks that Craig Berube would lose his job as coach of the Maple Leafs. However, he told the media he expects to return in that role next season, though he admitted that it could be up to the new GM.
On Wednesday, Leafs Nation was buzzing over a report in The Athletic on the club's downfall this season.
The involvement of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley in the front office's pre-trade deadline plans last month garnered the most interest, particularly his use of in-house AI-generated figures on potential deals and trade targets.
The article also noted that trade discussions involving Matthew Knies continued up to the trade deadline. The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres reportedly targeted the 23-year-old left winger.
During Pelley's press conference following the firing of GM Brad Treliving, he cited promising young players on the Canadiens and Sabres while praising those clubs' improvement this season. In doing so, according to The Athletic, Pelley had named several trade targets.
Those players included Michael Hage, Adam Engstrom, Jacob Fowler, and David Reinbacher of the Canadiens and Konsta Helenius and Radim Mrtka of the Sabres.
Following the deadline, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes claimed his club had been working on a major deal. He also hinted that his team might revisit those discussions in the off-season. It was rumored that Knies was his target, but subsequent reports claimed those discussions didn't get far.
If those players on the Canadiens and Sabres came up in trade discussions involving Knies, it doesn't necessarily mean they were willing to move them. They could've been part of the Maple Leafs' asking price for the young power forward.
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