Elliotte Friedman hints at Maple Leafs’ big offseason decision on Auston Matthews

With five games left in the 2025-26 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are heading towards a defining offseason. NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman believes the future of Auston Matthews may hinge on how next season begins. Speaking on his April 3 episode of 32 Thoughts , Friedman outlined a cautious approach from management after a disappointing year.

“This is my theory, it’s purely my theory based on what I heard this week, is they’re gonna tell him, ‘We’re back on track next year or trying to be, and come back at the start of the year, and let’s see how it goes. '” Friedman said. MORE: Toronto Maple Leafs face harsh reality with playoff exit confirmed Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) at Rogers Arena.

Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Friedman pointed to the Vancouver Canucks handling of Quinn Hughes as a model. In that case, the team waited before making a major move in the middle of the season, in which they traded Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. This deal was done in early December, and thus, they started a reported rebuild as their season went off track.

Friedman mentioned that he could be wrong, but believes Toronto may follow a similar path. “Like, I think the Quinn Hughes thing, every player in that league, every team in that league saw how the Quinn Hughes thing played out this year,” Friedman said. “And that is that you start the year, you see how it goes, and then if it goes off the rails, you adjust as necessary.