On Thursday, the interest started talking about an interesting trade rumor. It’s probably nothing, but it got people talking. The rumor says that Auston Matthews is basically a guarantee to get traded this offseason. This is what happens when a team is disappointing. The rumor mill will go crazy, and the team’s best player is going to be put on the chopping block.
However, this offseason is unique. Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are considered disappointments. While the Oilers can still make the playoffs, the Kings' incredibly easy schedule down the stretch has Edmonton holding on for dear life.
If Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews both miss the playoffs this season, the offseason narratives are going to be insane. Matthews is an American player who has always committed to Toronto for way short of the maximum. He is playing his first season without Mitch Marner, and for the first time, he will fail to score 30 goals in a season. The former 60-goal scorer was knocked out by a Radko Gudas hit, and he will miss the rest of the season.
With the disappointment, both statistically and in the standings, Matthews is going to be in trade rumors this offseason. Unless he unequivocally says he is dedicated to winning in Toronto, analysts will talk about where he fits.
It’s similar to what we heard about Connor McDavid last offseason before he signed a two-year extension. The Oilers weren’t trading McDavid coming off a Stanley Cup Final appearance, but if the season went around how it’s been going, they might have seriously considered a midseason trade that would make the Quinn Hughes return look like future considerations.
The conversations around Matthews and McDavid will save Devils fans from the hundreds of fake trades people would put forth for Jack Hughes. We’ve seen it before, especially from Vancouver Canucks fans, but it would be even worse now that Hughes is the most popular American player in the league.
Jack Hughes won't see his name in trade rumors this offseason
After scoring the Golden Goal, Hughes has seen his star shine brighter than anyone else in the NHL. That usually comes with certain attention, and with the Devils missing the playoffs again, it’s not crazy to think some would say the Devils' star should play elsewhere.
Hughes has played 12 playoff games in his career. Take that in for just a second. In seven seasons, Hughes has played 12 games in the postseason. It’s not nearly enough for a player who is known for stepping up in big moments. In those 12 games, he had six goals and 11 points.
Thankfully, the narrative will stick to the juiciest story. Hughes still has a ton of time on his contract, and while the Devils failed to trade for his brother, they aren’t moving him in the offseason after he became an Olympic hero. They would trade David Blitzer before they traded Hughes, but it wouldn’t stop everyone from putting him in fake trades.