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Could anyone blame Auston Matthews if he was ready for change?
The Toronto Maple Leafs' captain took a dirty hit from Radko Gudas to his left knee on Thursday night, went down, left the game and didn't return. And no Leafs player immediately rushed to Matthews' defense.
Near the end of a nightmare season in Toronto, Matthews has found himself in the midst of a mess. And now he's hurt as part of it.
Depending on his injury update, his season could be over.
And if his season is done, could his Toronto tenure be done, too?
Cant help but wonder if this is the last time we will ever see Auston Matthews in a Leaf jersey. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/sMB17CvzHp
— corey landsberg (@coreylandsberg) March 13, 2026MORE: We finally know what Sidney Crosby's Olympic injury is
At this point, none of this is more than speculation. But it's a fascinating concept.
A Hockey Buzz article reports, "There is a growing sense that Matthews may be leaning toward eventually moving on from Toronto when the opportunity presents itself." A more reputable publication has yet to match that information, but it's just one more piece being added on to the pile at this point.
And on that front, there's at least this from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on his podcast -- he thinks Minnesota GM Bill Guerin is doing what he can to "pitch" Matthews on the Wild as a possible landing spot.
That feels like a bit more than nothing, to be sure.
Matthews currently has two years remaining on his contract after this season. But that hasn't stopped trades from being completed before.
Certainly, this is something to watch. The vibes in Toronto aren't good. It could lead to major change for the Maple Leafs.
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