Insider believes Auston Matthews won't ask out of Toronto despite Maple Leafs sitting at bottom of Atlantic Division

The Maple Leafs are sinking fast. Toronto sits near the bottom of the Atlantic Division with only the Rangers below them in the Eastern Conference standings, a far cry from the playoff expectations that existed when the season began.

The slide has sparked questions about whether Auston Matthews might reconsider his future in Toronto. The franchise center signed an extension last year after telling management he would commit as long as things did not go off the rails, and recent weeks have tested that promise.

Elliotte Friedman says it will take much more for Auston Matthews to leave Toronto

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman addressed the growing speculation on the latest episodes of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, dismissing the notion that Matthews is looking for an exit despite the team's struggles. Friedman understands how bad the situation is in Toronto.

"I've been kind of hearing there's been a lot of talk about Matthews and whether or not he wants to stay," Friedman said. "I don't think that's a question."

Friedman referenced his reporting from last week about Matthews telling the organization a year before he could sign his extension that he would stay as long as the situation did not deteriorate beyond repair. Despite the current mess, Friedman believes Toronto has not crossed that threshold.

"I had a couple of people ask me about it because I wrote that in that Marner piece last week about how he told them a year before he could sign the extension that he would sign as long as it didn't go off the rails," he explained. "And he did."

The insider made clear that while the season has been disappointing, it would take significantly more dysfunction before Matthews would consider requesting a trade.

"I still don't think that's the case," Friedman said. "I think it would have to get a lot worse than this before he would ask to be traded. So I don't think that's going anywhere right now."

Toronto faces a critical stretch leading into the Olympic break with questions mounting about roster changes and whether management will make moves at the trade deadline.

The Maple Leafs need to string together wins quickly to climb back into playoff contention in a tightly packed Eastern Conference where several teams remain within reach of a postseason spot despite Toronto's current standing near the bottom of the division.


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