The Maple Leafs are on the clock with Auston Matthews

John Chayka equated his first few weeks as common supervisor of the Toronto Maple Leafs to “trying to catch a moving train,” however even that may have been promoting his problem quick.

This seems much more like “Mission: Impossible.”

Chayka’s stunning second likelihood in the NHL comes from an possession group that has little interest in a rebuild and expects him to right away rebound an getting older Twenty eighth-place staff again into its aggressive window. This, whereas inheriting a cabinet woefully quick on property, in a yr the place NHL free company leaves rather a lot to be desired, and at a second the place the way forward for franchise participant Auston Matthews stays very a lot in query.

Matthews has two years remaining on his contract, however nonetheless is not certain if he’ll be again in Toronto in the fall, based on league sources.

At season’s finish, the Leafs captain informed reporters, “I can’t predict the future.” That stays the case after Chayka and Mats Sundin had been employed to run a revamped entrance workplace.

This is definitely the lowest level the franchise has hit since Matthews was drafted No. 1 in 2016. The Leafs had a 30-point decline in the standings this season and can want a positive bounce in Tuesday’s draft lottery simply to search out any silver lining in that ugly end since the Boston Bruins personal their first-round choose if it falls outdoors of the prime 5 choices.

Top to backside, they’ve dug a reasonably large gap with no clear method out.

For Matthews, set to have a good time his twenty ninth birthday in September, there are some comprehensible issues about the course issues are headed. Athletes have finite careers and he is by no means been farther from the Stanley Cup. And whereas Chayka intends to choose the mind of the franchise’s all-time targets chief briefly order, it is protected to say the new GM may not like every little thing he hears when that occurs.

“We’re going to get together in the next couple weeks and spend some time,” Chayka stated after Monday’s introductory information convention. “I think he deserves some answers about where we’re at and where we’re headed, and (I’ll) give him a forum to provide feedback and ask questions and then take it from there.”

Chayka added that he would not place a timetable on when he wants a solution from Matthews relating to his personal intentions.

That’s a wise approach to method a delicate topic as a result of the timing is certainly going to be tough for the new Leafs entrance workplace to navigate.

The solely gross sales pitch Matthews wants at this stage is actual motion, based on league sources. Before committing to a different season in Toronto, he needs to see a roster that has been meaningfully upgraded by means of trades and free company. This is not about promoting him on a elaborate 12-point plan or a bunch of obscure guarantees. Seeing is believing.

Effectively, the Chayka-Sundin entrance workplace might be auditioning for the staff’s most impactful participant with their work round draft week in late June and the opening of free company on July 1. As such, they should not count on any commitments from Matthews about their future till some level after that occurs and he can consider the place the staff stands heading into 2026-27.

“Listen, I think Auston is the best goal-scorer in the league the last 10 years,” Sundin stated. “He’s a superstar in his own right. Won Olympic gold. I think he’s a good leader, a great leader, and he captained the US to the gold (in Milan). The Toronto Maple Leafs and the fanbase, I think, (are) very fortunate to have a player of that caliber.

“Let’s hope that he’s committed to leading this team through the next period as well.”

Chayka said he views the relationship with Matthews as a partnership.

“Auston’s the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, this is his team,” Chayka said. “He clearly lived all of it yr, so I wish to get collectively with him and listen to his ideas on issues, and that can type of assist sculpt our imaginative and prescient a bit as properly. But definitely, as we take into consideration speaking to him, you understand, letting him know that there is nonetheless a window right here the place we really feel like he is one in all the greatest gamers in the world for a purpose and we have some good items, and we have plenty of work to do. And type of stroll him by means of how we wish to go about doing that.”

Keeping Matthews in the fold will be critical to delivering on the promise of an expedited retool, rather than entering a full-scale rebuild. With as great a player as the former MVP is, you’re simply not coming out ahead in the transaction if he wants to be traded.

In the event that were to happen, Matthews would have full control of where he goes courtesy of a full no-movement clause. That means Leafs management wouldn’t be able to drive up the price like they might if free market conditions were present, and the hand-picked acquiring team wouldn’t be shedding useful present-day assets that would make them less appealing as a destination.

At best, you’d be hoping for a multi-pronged package of future assets similar to what the Vancouver Canucks got back when they traded Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in December. A handful of magic beans for a proven game-breaking commodity.

That certainly doesn’t align with the vision Chayka shared in his first official day on the job in Toronto, where he spoke of needing to improve the Leafs’ blue line this summer in a bid to immediately improve the team’s fortunes.

“I think next year’s an important year to get some momentum back,” Chayka said. “Again, we’re in May. We’ve obtained a protracted offseason, relying on what strikes are obtainable and the way we are able to execute and the hit price of the strikes we make, actually. That’ll decide (if we take into account a rebuild), however I’d slightly reply that query in coaching camp when we have now a full view of the roster.”

He definitely cannot be blamed for requesting extra time to survey the scenario.

Chayka’s solely been right here for a couple of minutes and already the clock is ticking.