Anonymous Leafs player reaches out to NHL Insider with information on Auston Matthews and some info that could be on the way
The last few days have been chock full of speculation regarding the Leafs and what could happen following the team's decision to part ways with now ex-GM Kyle Dubas. As of this point, we only have one side of the story, with Shanahan already having spoken publicly, while Dubas has not yet met with the media.
One of the hottest topics in Toronto right now is whether or not the team's decision to dismiss Kyle Dubas will have an impact on their ability to sign Auston Matthews to an extension. Matthews, along with intermittent linemate William Nylander, is due for an extension this summer. We know that Dubas and Matthews had an excellent relationship, which led many to believe that an extension would be quick for Matthews - perhaps as early as July 1st. However, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman revealed on Monday that that's not necessarily the case.
Friedman spoke to a player within the organization this weekend who confirmed to him that there was no guarantee that Matthews would have signed on July 1st, even with Dubas at the helm. He added that the team was confident that a deal would have gotten done. The player also revealed that there could be some pretty big news coming down the pipeline in Toronto, with "a few weeks" as the measurement.
The other thing here is that in Calgary we heard a lot about their exit interviews and they changed the trajectory of the franchise. Torontos exit interviews were pretty tough. Players were pretty blunt about what was said. This player told me to keep an eye on the next few weeks as the players were blunt about why it didn't work."
What this news might be, that's really anyone's guess. Maybe there's someone on the team, perhaps a high-profile player, who may request a trade. Perhaps it's a decision on what the team will do with the coaching staff. Perhaps it has something to do with a locker room divide of some kind. At this point, we don't know what the nature of the news is - only that it's coming, if this player's comments are truthful.
| POLL | ||
22 MAI | 3911 ANSWERS Anonymous Leafs player reaches out to NHL Insider with information on Auston Matthews and some info that could be on the way What is your confidence level that Auston Matthews will re-sign in Toronto now that Dubas is gone? | ||
| 100% | 528 | 13.5 % |
| 50%-99% | 1075 | 27.5 % |
| 25%-49% | 980 | 25.1 % |
| Less than 25% | 1328 | 34 % |
| List of polls | ||
