The Toronto Maple Leafs have a handful of star players, but according to a report, GM John Chayka and his staff are open to listening to other teams about anyone on the roster, except for captain Auston Matthews.
It's been a year of significant changes for the Toronto Maple Leafs, mainly through the organization's staff.
However, a report coming from The Athletic and TSN's Chris Johnston on The Chris Johnston Show portrays that no player on the Maple Leafs' roster is safe from conversations with other teams, except for captain Auston Matthews.
"The message that's come out of their front office is they're willing to discuss any players on their roster except Auston Matthews," Johnston said on his show on Tuesday.
That signals that the major changes in Toronto may not be over, and that Matthews is still highly regarded by the organization.
Matthews has been the face of the franchise basically since he was drafted by the Maple Leafs with the first overall pick in 2016. And according to Johnston's report, the supporting cast that includes William Nylander, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, and anyone else, is apparently available, or in other words, they are not untouchable.
"They're open to at least hearing what you have to say on any player, but Matthews," Johnston added.
The NHL insider also noted that Nylander and Rielly both have no-movement clauses.
Nylander's clause lasts for the remainder of his contract, which expires through the 2029-30 season. The same can be said for Rielly, although he has a 10-team no-trade list attached to his no-movement clause in the last two years of his contract, per puckpedia.com.
Tavares also has a no-movement clause on his contract next season, followed by a five-team trade list for the final two years of his deal.
"So, some of those names that could potentially be available, it's not as available as it might seem on the surface," Johnston said. "But it does seem as though, at least in taking this job, John Chayka is considering basically anything but his captain."
It's not unusual for Matthews to be the talk of the town regarding hockey in Toronto. But discussions have been ramped up lately with the Leafs captain's status with the team and where his head is at when the time comes to sign a contract extension.
Leafs GM Chayka assured that Matthews had "zero" impact in the organization's decision to fire Craig Berube and likely won't be involved in any other verdicts from the front office. However, it's clear that the three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner means a lot to the franchise in the eyes of the team's brass.
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