Golden Knights trading for Auston Matthews would be wild — it just probably can't happen with Maple Leafs contract

Golden Knights trading for Auston Matthews would be wild — it just probably can't happen with Maple Leafs contract originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Of all the places the Toronto Maple Leafs could trade Auston Matthews, if that path ever came to fruition, the Vegas Golden Knights would be one of the most frustrating for the Leafs fanbase.

That's because Mitch Marner ended up there, and such a move would reunite Matthews with Marner.

It's something floating around social media lately, with this trade proposal drawing a lot of attention:

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Not so fast, though.

There's no way that trade would happen.

The Maple Leafs already have too many goalies. They wouldn't trade Matthews to get a goaltender. They're more likely to trade one away this offseason.

And then you factor in the Golden Knights' salary situation, which is already top-heavy and pretty much has no space for Matthews.

"Should Alex Pietrangelo and William Karlsson remain on LTIR, fitting Matthews’ $13.25 million cap hit is something they might be able to stomach," writes NHL Trade Talk's Jackson Weber. "If one of them were to get healthy and come off, however, it would become an even tighter squeeze for Kelly McCrimmon and company to navigate."