Speculation: Something is wrong with Matthews...

[Future]

Matthews is 100% done playing in Toronto. He will be traded after this season, take that to the bank. He is as good as gone already.

He wants nothing to do with Toronto or the country of Canada. He has made that as clear as day, the same way that Kawhi Leonard did when he left the Raptors to go home to Los Angeles.

He hasn't been good. But what is this based on exactly?

I'm guessing this is just an emotional overreaction.

 

[34]

He hasn't been good. But what is this based on exactly?

I'm guessing this is just an emotional overreaction.

No, he is done. You can see it in his emotion and just his body language at this point. The kid wants to go home, simple as that.

 

[Apex Predator]

No, he is done. You can see it in his emotion and just his body language at this point. The kid wants to go home, simple as that.

If hypothetically you are right leafs better make sure to trade him and not lose him for nothing.

 

[Stephen]

People like to over dramatize the Matthews free agency departure generally, but his very poor start to 2022-23 has taken some of the shine off of his dream season last year and you do wonder what the future of this team will look like.

 

[francis246]

Matthews is 100% done playing in Toronto. He will be traded after this season, take that to the bank. He is as good as gone already.

He wants nothing to do with Toronto or the country of Canada. He has made that as clear as day, the same way that Kawhi Leonard did when he left the Raptors to go home to Los Angeles.

This is honestly the shittiest take I’ve seen on these boards. How in the hell would you know any of this to be true?

He’s shooting a career low this year, he’s been bad, but all of a sudden that means he’s done in Toronto?

If hypothetically you are right leafs better make sure to trade him and not lose him for nothing.

How can you even support that theory seriously?

 

[Apex Predator]

This is honestly the shittiest take I’ve seen on these boards. How in the hell would you know any of this to be true?

He’s shooting a career low this year, he’s been bad, but all of a sudden that means he’s done in Toronto?



How can you even support that theory seriously?

Where did I support him? I said hypothetically. That doesn’t mean I agree.

 

[Stringer Bell]

I would be absolutely shocked if Matthews had any intention of re-signing.

 

[Future]

I would be absolutely shocked if Matthews had any intention of re-signing.

Based on, what? Your own personal insecurities?

He isn't playing well, he knows he isn't playing well, and the team has underperformed. Are you expecting him to be happy, smiling, and laughing? Then people would find a way to be mad at that and say that he isn't taking things seriously.

 

[NewEraGM]

I’ve been saying this forever but I’ll say it again, Matthews will be signing as a UFA in Anaheim.

- good young core (Mactavish, Drysdale, Zegras and others including a likely top 5 pick this year) many of which are American
- close to home but not the coyotes
- they will have a ton of cap space
- I can see him in California 100%
- in 2 more years they will be a playoff team

 

[francis246]

I’ve been saying this forever but I’ll say it again, Matthews will be signing as a UFA in Anaheim.

- good young core (Mactavish, Drysdale, Zegras and others including a likely top 5 pick this year) many of which are American
- close to home but not the coyotes
- they will have a ton of cap space
- I can see him in California 100%
- in 2 more years they will be a playoff team

Most of Anaheim’s young core and prospects are Canadian…

MacTavish, Drysdale, Comtois, Zellweger, Perrault, Gaucher, Tracey, Groulx, Luneau

They do have some American prospects but they aren’t really top guys. Outside of Troy Terry, Zegras and Noah Warren

2. Matthews isn’t going to walk out of Toronto. He’d be traded well before that opportunity and truthfully Anaheim wouldn’t be a bad trading partner

 

[NewEraGM]

Most of Anaheim’s young core and prospects are Canadian…

MacTavish, Drysdale, Comtois, Zellweger, Perrault, Gaucher, Tracey, Groulx, Luneau

They do have some American prospects but they aren’t really top guys. Outside of Troy Terry, Zegras and Noah Warren

2. Matthews isn’t going to walk out of Toronto. He’d be traded well before that opportunity and truthfully Anaheim wouldn’t be a bad trading partner

I meant a core of US born players who are already in the team. Not necessarily American prospects.

Terry, Fowler, Gibson, Vatrano and Jones. They may not all be there in 2 years but most likely Terry, Gibson, Fowler and Zegras will be there. All American

I also totally forgot they have Zellweger who is another great prospect

 

[Stringer Bell]

Based on, what? Your own personal insecurities?

He isn't playing well, he knows he isn't playing well, and the team has underperformed. Are you expecting him to be happy, smiling, and laughing? Then people would find a way to be mad at that and say that he isn't taking things seriously.

I don't have any insecurities about it and I don't necessarily think his play has much to do with leaving at free agency. Not sure what you're on about.

 

[centipede2233]

I’ve been saying this forever but I’ll say it again, Matthews will be signing as a UFA in Anaheim.

- good young core (Mactavish, Drysdale, Zegras and others including a likely top 5 pick this year) many of which are American
- close to home but not the coyotes
- they will have a ton of cap space
- I can see him in California 100%
- in 2 more years they will be a playoff team

I think he goes to LA but Anaheim is a solid guess to

I think we should pay him 15 mil a year , that will def get us a cup fo sho!

 

[Nhlpowerweek]

This is honestly the shittiest take I’ve seen on these boards. How in the hell would you know any of this to be true?

He’s shooting a career low this year, he’s been bad, but all of a sudden that means he’s done in Toronto?



How can you even support that theory seriously?

Some people might speculate that he and marner are like talking inside their houses at the billiard room like..."you like the media and fans here?"... "like nah man.." you wanna go out and play pool or ride a car?" "Lika naah man".... "ok. I. Understand"... "you are tired of all this and want to be a free young man with women?" "Like, yeah." "Thats what Bieber and others do fool". "You'sa fool dork". "No you is". "We both want to be out here." "Like, duh".

So thats what some people are thinking and speculating. Not me. But others. I just tell it out loud what others are hearing and thinking. And speaking at the streets too

 

[NewEraGM]

I think he goes to LA but Anaheim is a solid guess to

I think we should pay him 15 mil a year , that will def get us a cup fo sho!

Yea I can see LA too but they do have tons of depth down the middle with Kopitar, Danault, Turcotte, Byfield.

Obviously, Matthews is the best of them all but not sure if LA will have the room.

I really think Anaheim and LA are very possible options for AM34

 

[IPS]

I think some of you need to cool it.

Matthews is all about the money and he is in the exact place to make as much of it as possible. Yes it's gonna cost us $15M a year minimum but he's definitely gonna stay, the sponsorship potential is way too much for him to pass up. He won't get that type of exposure in California, there's too many other superstar athletes to compete with over there in much bigger sports.

 

[Menzinger]

What attra

I’ve been saying this forever but I’ll say it again, Matthews will be signing as a UFA in Anaheim.

- good young core (Mactavish, Drysdale, Zegras and others including a likely top 5 pick this year) many of which are American
- close to home but not the coyotes
- they will have a ton of cap space
- I can see him in California 100%
- in 2 more years they will be a playoff team

He also seems to like being a star player. And he's not going to get that type of treatment in Anaheim.

They have next to zero media attention in the hockey world. It's where guys go to have quite careers. .

If Matthews leaves Toronto it's going to be for a big market team

 

[centipede2233]

Yea I can see LA too but they do have tons of depth down the middle with Kopitar, Danault, Turcotte, Byfield.

Obviously, Matthews is the best of them all but not sure if LA will have the room.

I really think Anaheim and LA are very possible options for AM34

Kopitar contract expires same time as matthews….

 

[Stephen]

I meant a core of US born players who are already in the team. Not necessarily American prospects.

Terry, Fowler, Gibson, Vatrano and Jones. They may not all be there in 2 years but most likely Terry, Gibson, Fowler and Zegras will be there. All American

I also totally forgot they have Zellweger who is another great prospect

If Matthews' big career ambition is to live in California and play for probably the 10th most popular pro sports team in the Los Angeles area, it is what it is. Either he's going to be committed to Phase II of this era or you let him do his thing.

 

[6ix]

He’s not shooting the puck. He’s passing off in places he would just snipe from before. He needs to be more selfish and letting them rip. Bunting/Kerfoot are terrible finishers. No point passing to them when they will just shoot a muffin.

 

[Stephen]

He also seems to like being a star player. And he's not going to get that type of treatment in Anaheim.

They have next to zero media attention in the hockey world. It's where guys go to have quite careers. .

If Matthews leaves Toronto it's going to be for a big market team

There's no bigger market than Toronto. If Matthews decides to leave the biggest market in the sport, I think it puts him in a Kevin Durant type category of player who had to go to GSW and bandwagon someone else's success with the ultimate question mark of whether it was his problem or a Leaf problem that this era ended the way it did. It downgrades him from the Yzerman, Sakic, Ovechkin, Crosby, Stamkos, Kane level of player. It won't be like Gretzky going to LA by a long shot.

 

[3blizzard4]

Matthews is 100% done playing in Toronto. He will be traded after this season, take that to the bank. He is as good as gone already.

He wants nothing to do with Toronto or the country of Canada. He has made that as clear as day, the same way that Kawhi Leonard did when he left the Raptors to go home to Los Angeles.

Sire, what has god told you about the end of the world? I have committed a few sins and I need to repent before this happens.

 

[Stephen]

I actually don’t get that vibe at all. I think he would be totally fine doing his own thing with less hockey related media. There may not be hockey media in California but he will certainly have a lot of opportunities in fashion and style and I think there will be more attractive opportunities of that kind down in California

I look at the experience of championship era players on the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings in the State of California and you may as well be playing semi pro sports. There's virtually zero popular culture appeal to doing anything on those teams beyond the actual fanbase. Guys like Drew Doughty like to brag about being left alone on the beach but is it really that good?

 

[Tak7]

I look at the experience of championship era players on the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings in the State of California and you may as well be playing semi pro sports. There's virtually zero popular culture appeal to doing anything on those teams beyond the actual fanbase. Guys like Drew Doughty like to brag about being left alone on the beach but is it really that good?

I think a lot of those guys have a skewed perception of just how "bad" Toronto / Canadian media can be. There's widespread interest here, but things only become "tough" when things go off the rails.

When you're in a winning Canadian market, there's arguably nothing better. I can't fathom winning a massive game 7 playoff game, and then moving 3 blocks away from the arena an hour after the game & not a single person having a clue what just happened.

You spend all that time in your career, for that level of anonimity? I remember a reporter going around Tampa asking a bunch of people around their arena how they would pronounce "Lecavalier". None of them had a clue...

 

[Fogelhund]

This is all 5v5.


Matthews
Last year, 15.6% 38 goals 244 shots
Two goals on 48 shots now... 5v5. 4.1% pacing for 10-11 goals 5v5 pacing 262 shots