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The welcome back might be just a bit awkward for Auston Matthews.
Matthews was the captain for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where they stunned Canada in overtime of the gold medal game on Sunday. He's also the captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
When Matthews returns to town, he'll be going to Canada, where he was part of a team that broke a nation's hearts.
Leafs fans likely won't hold that too harshly against Matthews. It would've been even trickier if he scored the game-winning goal.
Still, it's at least a little bit of a rooting-interest conundrum for the fans.
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On the ice, Toronto has plenty else to figure out.
Unless they have a huge surge immediately out of the Olympic break, they'll likely have to be sellers at the trade deadline.
Matthews himself seems unlikely to move. The superstar has expressed his desire to remain in Toronto, and the Maple Leafs have seemingly made it clear he won't be on the move.
Almost everyone else, though? Certainly in play.
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A guy like Bobby McMann, with talent and an affordable contract, will be one of the easiest to move.
The rumors will loop in many more Maple Leafs, though. It hasn't been the season they've wanted at all.
Matthews will have a smile on his face for a while. The Leafs, though may not turn their frowns upside down anytime soon.
More Olympics news:
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- Mikaela Shiffrin just broke the Olympics
- Megan Keller's childhood dreams culminate in a dream come true
- U.S. women's hockey star's brothers go viral at Olympics
- Eileen Gu responds to hate only way she knows how
- A dog stole the show at the finish line of cross country skiing
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