Austin Konenski
Auston Matthews‘ future with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been in the headlines. The Maple Leafs missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the direction of the franchise will ultimately decide if Matthews requests a trade or stays. If it goes in the wrong direction, the Toronto star has been linked to a surprising NHL organization.
Sportsnet’s Darren Dreger believes the Utah Mammoth will be a big player with Matthews moving forward, the insider said on Barn Burner. Dreger also said the San Jose Sharks would make some sense, but he wouldn’t call the organization a frontrunner to acquire Matthews in the future.
Since moving from Arizona to Utah, the organization has progressed yearly. In fact, the Mammoth made a big move at the deadline, acquiring defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames. Now, Utah is very likely to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first Wild Card team in the Western Conference.
The Mammoth were linked to several big-name players during the NHL trade deadline, such as St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas. Utah has the assets to pull off a big trade this offseason, making it one of many organizations that could be in the market for Matthews.
However, this will require Matthews to make a decision and request a trade from Toronto. For now, the Maple Leafs will likely attempt to bring the organization back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season. After all, it is hard to waste talent like Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies.
Utah is looking to make a big run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and don’t expect them to fall apart anytime soon. In fact, the Mammoth could end up with Matthews, if everything falls in the right direction for them.
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