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Auston Matthews landing spots: 3 destinations for the Toronto Maple Leafs center if he decides to leave
Auston Matthews is one of the best players in the NHL, and this summer will be an interesting one for him.
Matthews has just one year left on his deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs and can sign an extension on July 1. Yet, if he doesn't sign the extension, the Leafs will, no doubt, have to look into trading the superstar, so they get something back for him.
With that, here are three possible destinations for Auston Matthews.
#1. Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes received heartbreaking news on Tuesday night when the city voted no on their new arena, leaving their future uncertain.
Yet, if the NHL decides to keep the Coyotes in Arizona, they will need a superstar to help them with viewership and attendance. There is no better player than Auston Matthews, who is from Arizona. If the Coyotes can get a homegrown player to play for them, it would be massive for their future and could keep them in Arizona.
The Coyotes also have tons of assets in picks and prospects to trade as well as cap space to acquire the forward.
#2. Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are in a rebuild, but they are nearly finished and ready to be a playoff team again.
The Ducks have the second overall pick which is where the trade package can start. Toronto would then be able to select Adam Fantilli who is a star center and help replace Matthews in Toronto, while also getting other picks and prospects.
If the Ducks can add a pure goalscorer in Auston Matthews, their offense gets more potent and helps them turn into a legit cup contender. It's also a team that doesn't get as much media attention as the Maple Leafs, which could be what Matthews would like.
#3. Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks got a massive boost to their rebuild by winning the NHL's Draft Lottery. This allowed them to select Connor Bedard who is the top prospect since Connor McDavid.
Yet, prospects can turn into busts, as we saw, so has Chicago thought about flipping the top pick to Toronto for Matthews? Matthews is a proven All-Star in the NHL, and he still is young. He is also someone many other players want to play with, so he can attract free agents to Chicago.
Although it seems likely Chicago will keep the first overall pick, this is a wild card landing spot for Auston Matthews.
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