Auston Matthews sticking around in Toronto until he brings the Leafs a Stanley Cup
Even though he has 2 years left on his contract after this one, people can't help but talk about the possibility of Auston Matthews leaving Toronto when his deal expires. Most fans from other markets seem to love the idea that he will go home to Arizona and play for Coyotes when it ends. I believe that most of that idea is out of spite for the Leafs because that's what happened with Tavares. It would be karma for the Leafs, so to speak. In a few years, Arizona may not even have a team. They aren't even playing in an NHL arena for the next 3 years.
You can say the Leafs won't be able to afford him, but the Leafs will bend the cap rules backwards and forwards, sideways, up and down to keep him and the team competitive. Essentially, they'll hand him a blank cheque and fill out the roster by finding late summer UFA's the way Dubas has always done.
Matthews has said before he wants to bring a cup to Toronto. That's his mission. Maybe after he parades down Front Street, will he look somewhere else to sail off into the sunset, but it doesn't sound like he won't be leaving Toronto anytime soon.
Matthews is traveling with the Leafs to Tampa and could draw back into the lineup on Thursday after missing a couple of games due to an unspecified injury. He currently sits at 58 goals on the season and has just 5 games remaining to reach that 60-goal plateau.
| POLL | ||
21 AVRIL | 1140 ANSWERS Auston Matthews sticking around in Toronto until he brings the Leafs a Stanley Cup Will Auston Matthews be able to lead the Leafs to their first Stanley Cup since 1967? | ||
| Yes | 970 | 85.1 % |
| No | 170 | 14.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
