Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews may now want to stick with the team, even though it missed the playoffs this season.
On Tuesday, a report surfaced that Matthews, who has two years remaining on his contract, is uncertain he’ll return to Toronto next season. He may feel differently about the franchise’s prospects after it won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday night.
Securing the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (scheduled June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo) could help the Maple Leafs reboot the franchise after going 32-36-14 this past season. Matthews, who turns 29 on Sept. 17, should want to be included in that.
How winning the NHL Draft Lottery increases Auston Matthews’ chances of staying with the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have not selected No. 1 overall since taking Matthews in the 2016 draft. Like the one-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, Penn State Nittany Lions left winger Gavin McKenna (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) could become a franchise staple.
“Basically, calling McKenna a play-driver is an understatement,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Hannah Stuart in a scouting report. “He’s so dangerous with the puck, particularly along the wall, and the way that he can control the flow of the game, his handling is unreal.”
McKenna’s smooth puck handling made him one of the premier playmakers in the country last season. He tied for fourth in the nation in points (51, 15 goals and 36 assists).
The Maple Leafs need that playmaking ability after trading right winger Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in June 2025. His departure partially explains why Matthews’ numbers were down this past season. He scored a career-low 27 goals in 60 games.
Adding McKenna wouldn’t be the only way to convince Matthews to stay in Toronto. The Maple Leafs need to make other big moves, and new general manager John Chayka has said he’s going to seek the center’s input before doing that.
“We’re going to get together in the next couple weeks and spend some time,” Chayka told the media Monday (h/t Vivek Kalia of The Hockey Writers). “I think he deserves some answers about where we’re at and where we’re headed, and [I’ll] give him a forum to provide feedback and ask questions, then take it from there.”
Those conversations between Chayka and Matthews will be critical in determining whether the center stays. Expect the GM to use the No. 1 pick as a strong selling point in their talks.