4 Dream Trade Packages for Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews as NHL Rumors Heat Up
Is Auston Matthews getting dealt this offseason? Is Auston Matthews staying in Toronto as captain of the Maple Leafs? Will we all be consumed by the heat death of the universe before the Leafs win the Stanley Cup again? Should we let the answer to any of these questions stop us from having a little fun?
It's trade packages time again!
Matthews is currently sidelined by a grade-3 MCL tear and quad contusion (ouch), but nothing stops the churning of the rumor mill—especially in Toronto. As such, we are, of course, hearing rumors about what might happen this offseason. He's currently in year two of a four-year contract with a $13.25 million cap hit per year. That's a hefty amount of money to move, and yet people are speculating about moves nonetheless.
Matthews also has a full no-move clause, so any trade would have to be approved by him personally.
So first things first: what were the potential destinations? I picked three teams that I saw Leafs reporter Howard Berger mention as potential destinations: the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Utah Mammoth. Then I pulled three teams I saw fans discussing most: the Philadelphia Flyers, the Detroit Red Wings, and the San Jose Sharks. I picked two from each category.
We're sticking to the framework of "pie in the sky trade that could still possibly happen" because Leafs fans do deserve nice things sometimes.
Before anyone says anything else, there may be some comments about no first-round pick(s) being moved in any of the prospective offers. But as we've seen with the Artemi Panarin trade, when a player has a no-move clause, it really gives them all the leverage in any deal.
Let's get into it.
Anaheim Ducks
1 of 4
The Trade Offer: Auston Matthews for Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and a 2nd with the Leafs retaining 50%
Reasoning Why:
This is obviously on the dream-return-for-the-Leafs side of the dream return equation. Pavel Mintyukov is a really solid defender who is still on his entry-level contract (though not for long). Add in Mason McTavish, who is a quite useful if not elite forward, to get the money roughly to where it needs to be for the Leafs to only need to retain half of Matthews's salary and you've got a return that — well, it's not going to make anyone happy, because the Leafs are trading Matthews. But it gets the Leafs good players in return.
For the Ducks' side of things, they're getting a player who might be currently injured but is still one of the best goal-scorers of the current era and brings leadership experience from serving as captain of the Leafs. And I don't know if you all have noticed, but they're starting to build something pretty intriguing out there in Anaheim. Adding Matthews could be the move that launches them to perennial contender level.
Utah Mammoth
2 of 4
The Trade Offer: Auston Matthews for Tij Iginla, JJ Peterka, and a 2nd with the Leafs retaining 50%
Reasoning Why:
The Utah Mammoth are a very different story from the Anaheim Ducks. The asset cupboard is not bare, but it's definitely not stocked from Erewhon. Still, forward Tij Iginla is a high-quality prospect who will be very good at the NHL level. Since Peterka and McTavish bring in roughly the same number of points (and money), we can keep the trade formula basically the same from the last trade package to this one.
What the Mammoth lack are true high-end goal scorers. This isn't a slight on their roster — they definitely have good goal scorers — but they don't have someone like Matthews. Did you know that this is going to be the first time in Matthews's 10 seasons in the NHL that he finishes under the 30-goal mark? It's also going to be the first time he finishes under 60 points in a season.
For Utah, it's a significant boost.
Philadelphia Flyers
3 of 4
The Trade Offer: Auston Matthews for Porter Martone, Rasmus Ristolainen, and a 2nd with the Leafs retaining 25%
Reasoning Why:
I saw a lot of fans mention the Philadelphia Flyers as a potential destination for Matthews, so we're rolling with it. They do have almost $7 million coming off the books after this season, with buyout charges and salary being retained, which gives us some wiggle room to make this trade work without retaining too much. I still had them retain a quarter of his salary, though, just for breathing room for the Flyers — hence the second round pick.
Porter Martone is very good, but I definitely think there are some general managers out there who would gnaw off their own left arms and trade it for the chance to get a healthy Auston Matthews on their team, so including him as the shiny piece of this trade return made a lot of sense.
To move out the rest of the money, and because I think that Brad Treliving might actually think he's a good player, I threw in Rasmus Ristolainen. He's not a good player, but it's not what I think that matters, and hey, the Leafs could use defense. He fits the identity the team seems to be moving toward, at the very least.
San Jose Sharks
4 of 4
The Trade Offer: Auston Matthews for William Eklund, Sam Dickinson, and a 3rd
Reasoning Why:
Things are messy and weird in the Pacific Division this season. I really should've just done a full trade packages piece of only Pacific destinations. But hey, we can at least go for two. And no, Sharks fans, I didn't touch a hair on Macklin Celebrini or Will Smith's heads with this hypothetical.
I fear, however, that I did send William Eklund to the Leafs. I'm so sorry. And also Sam Dickinson. Both things are going to be very good for the Leafs moving forward, but not so good that the Sharks aren't willing to part with them while keeping the rest of their good young players.
Carey Price's contract comes off the Sharks' books after this season, which almost entirely covers Matthews's salary. Laurent Brossoit is going to UFA, handles the rest, so there's no need for the Leafs to retain. The pick is a third because the Leafs are getting all that salary off their books, and that's a benefit in itself.
