Brady Tkachuk being traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers has raised alarms for teams and fan bases around the NHL that have American-born superstar players.
It’s a trend that’s only becoming more prominent, starting with Matthew Tkachuk in 2022, then Quinn Hughes last season, and now Brady. Meanwhile, players like Dylan Larkin, Connor Hellebuyck, and potentially even Zach Werenski also face uncertain futures with their current teams.
As a result, questions have once again surfaced about Auston Matthews’ future in Toronto. While those concerns are understandable given the circumstances, TSN insider Pierre LeBrun offered Maple Leafs fans a vote of confidence on Monday, stating that he believes there is a 95 percent chance Matthews will still be around come opening night 2026.
“I’ve learned never to embrace 100 percent, but my understanding is that Auston Matthews intends on being here next year. That more or less has been communicated — still not in an official way from agent Judd Moldaver to John Chayka — but in a way where those guys are having conversations all the time. Chayka and Moldaver, in a way in which that’s where it’s absolutely pointed, that Matthews will at least give Toronto another year.
I’d put it at, I don’t know, 95 percent. How about that?”
The 28-year-old Matthews has two years remaining on the four-year, $53 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2023. He is coming off a career-low 53-point season, recording 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games.
New GM John Chayka has been extremely aggressive in reshaping the roster around Matthews, already having added Darren Raddysh, Emil Andrae, and the first-overall pick — likely Gavin McKenna — with plenty of offseason still remaining.
Because of that it sounds like the superstar center is in, for the 2026-27 season at least. How things play out next year will ultimately be the deciding factor in whether Matthews chooses to extend his stay in Toronto beyond his current contract.
