NHL Trade Rumors: Is Auston Matthews’ future with Toronto Maple Leafs drawing interest from Los Angeles Kings?

The NHL rumor mill, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, and the Los Angeles Kings are again the top topics in the league as speculation about trades is starting to heat up. The season is getting along fine, and the predictions are still very positive, so the question of the roster’s future is naturally coming up. The insiders around the NHL are keeping a very close watch on a few key scenarios that could influence the next offseason, particularly with the franchise-defining players.

The Maple Leafs have already made a coaching change in Toronto by bringing in Steve Sullivan as an assistant to replace Marc Savard. However, according to the league’s observers, that move may not be the last one. The more significant plot is whether Toronto could even consider a radical roster change if the situation doesn’t get better, while in Los Angeles, the Kings are not done yet with the changes to their lineup following the recent trades.

Could Toronto Maple Leafs really consider trading Auston Matthews?

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos is saying that a possible trade of Auston Matthews is not entirely out of the question, but if the Maple Leafs do not progress further in the season, it would only be talked about in the offseason. Besides that, Matthews still has two years remaining in his contract, which consists of a $13.25 million cap hit and comes with a full no-trade clause. Thus, all scenarios would need his complete consent.
Moreover, Kypreos has mentioned that a decrease in Matthews’ recent goals would not have a major impact on his market value since the rival teams are not likely to see it as a long-term problem. Kypreos listed the Los Angeles Kings among the possible teams, along with a mention of the retirement of Anze Kopitar, but also accepted the difficulties involved.
The asking price from Toronto would be very high, probably including a young NHL-ready centerman like Quinton Byfield, around whom the Kings may be unwilling to make such a deal. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reported that after trading Phillip Danault for a second-round pick in 2026, Los Angeles may still be looking into the trade market, which can be used to target veteran centers like Ryan O’Reilly or Brayden Schenn if the right opportunity comes along.

Currently, these scenarios are still very much in the realm of speculation, but they do highlight the fact that the NHL situation can change very rapidly. It is now trade Matthews or the next move of the king, or they will bring about a massive turnover for each team in the coming match.

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