The Toronto Maple Leafs are experiencing an offseason unlike any in recent memory. Missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016 prompted a front office reset, including the appointment of John Chayka as general manager. Now, with the dust barely settled, the franchise faces a question it likely never expected to seriously consider: Is Auston Matthews actually leaving? According to one prominent NHL insider, the Anaheim Ducks might have the pieces to make that happen.
Could the Ducks Actually Pull Off an Auston Matthews Trade?
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun floated Anaheim as a legitimate dark horse destination if Matthews eventually signals he is open to a move. The Ducks returned to the playoffs this spring for the first time since 2018, knocked out the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, and quietly built one of the deeper prospect pools in the Western Conference. LeBrun pointed to 23-year-old forward Mason McTavish as a centerpiece asset, though he was careful to note the speculation is more about capability than confirmed interest.
"I have zero evidence to suggest the Anaheim Ducks are the ones picking up the phone and calling teams about him," LeBrun wrote. "But I know for a fact that several teams have inquired about him."
He added that if Matthews watches Toronto's offseason unfold over the next five or six weeks and grows uncertain about the direction, "I would venture to guess Anaheim would be on his list of seven or eight potential desired landing spots. And the Ducks would have the pieces to make it work in a larger package."
LeBrun's read is that a Toronto departure is still the less likely outcome. The Minnesota Wild, where GM Bill Guerin has a standing relationship with Matthews dating back to two consecutive U.S. national team rosters, remain the more prominently discussed option. But Anaheim's emergence adds a new wrinkle.
Chayka's Approach and Matthews' Season
Chayka, for his part, is not treating this like a crisis. He spoke about Matthews plainly after taking the job, framing it as a conversation rather than a standoff.
"Auston's an accomplished player that is world-class," Chayka said. "I think he wants to align on the vision and the strategy ahead, as do we. I don't think there's any type of competing interests. I think it's about getting on the same page."
That alignment will be tested. Matthews, limited to 60 games this season after scoring an NHL-best 69 goals in 2023-24, finished with just 27 goals and 26 assists. The drop-off was sharp. Whether that reflects a rough year or something more structural in Toronto's setup is exactly the kind of question Chayka needs to answer fast.
