Auston Matthews may delay his decision on his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs until July, despite having two years left on his contract. The team's recent struggles could influence his considerations.
Why Maple Leafs may not have an Auston Matthews decision until July originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There will be plenty of storylines to follow with the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, but Auston Matthews is clearly a big one.
With two years left on his contract, and with the Leafs coming off a brutal season, Matthews could start to consider a path out of Toronto.
If he goes that route, though, there's a chance his decision doesn't arrive for a while.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said on his new 32 Thoughts podcast that Matthews may not decide what he wants to do until sometime in July.
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At least as far as making a fully informed decision, July would make a lot of sense for Matthews.
By that point, Toronto will have completed its NHL Draft, in which it has the No. 1 overall pick that could be used on Canadian winger Gavin McKenna.
Auston Matthews could consider leaving the Maple Leafs due to the team's recent poor performance and his remaining two years on the contract.
Auston Matthews may not make a decision regarding his future until July.
Matthews' decision could significantly impact the Maple Leafs' roster and future direction, especially after a challenging season.
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And with free agency opening at the start of July, Matthews can watch how most of that plays out before deciding sometime later in the month what he wants to do.
It's obviously not ideal for the Maple Leafs to not know what Matthews is thinking until that point, but it may have the effect of putting pressure on Toronto's new front office to improve the roster as much as possible in hopes of keeping their captain around.
Matthews may decide in the end not to go anywhere, at least not this offseason. But there's no way for Toronto to know for sure.
The best thing the Maple Leafs can do is improve their roster and hope Matthews likes what he sees.