positive Zoom – Auston Matthews met with Maple Leafs GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin over Zoom, and the tone of the conversation was described as “positive.” With only two seasons left on his contract and coming off a first missed playoffs, the meeting
For a Maple Leafs captain staring at an uncertain horizon, the front-office message arrived in a quiet setting: a Zoom meeting. John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin spoke with Auston Matthews to discuss their vision for the team, and the interaction was described as “positive.”
Elliotte Friedman said he checked with as many people as he could and was told that. right now. “things are in a good place.” He added that while there were still more decisions to be made. nothing in the first lengthy meeting raised alarms or concerns. Friedman also said the situation between Matthews and the organization is currently in a good place.
That matters because Matthews is only under contract for two more seasons. He is coming off his first missed playoffs as an NHLer, a personal milestone that has naturally fed uncertainty about what comes next in Toronto.
Still, the focus hasn’t shifted away from the one goal that sits closest to Matthews’ legacy. Friedman said Matthews has indicated he wants to win in Toronto, and that message—Friedman described it as reiterated—matches what the organization is aiming for.
The numbers coming out of the season only add to the tension around timing and direction. Matthews, 28, finished an injury-marred campaign with 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games. Over the past two seasons since his 69-goal outburst in 2023-24, he has totaled 60 combined goals.
Chayka and Sundin were brought in earlier in May to replace GM Brad Treliving. who was fired in March after three seasons as the team’s top executive. It is a leadership reshuffle that has already touched the coaching side as well. Chayka and Sundin dismissed Craig Berube after just two seasons, leaving Toronto searching for a new coach.
That training-wheels moment—talking directly with Matthews about what the new braintrust is planning—lands right before what could be the Maple Leafs’ first big test as a group: an off-season that may also bring significant change to a roster that finished fifth-last in the league.
Friedman framed the meeting’s purpose with careful boundaries. “It’s not like they’re asking for Matthews’ approval or anything like that. or he’s making the decisions or anything like that. ” he said. The conversation. he added. was the first time they could really sit down and speak about what they’re thinking. the plan. the vision. and how they intend to execute.
The timing also intersects with this summer’s draft. Toronto owns the first-overall pick in June’s NHL Draft—its first time landing the top choice since selecting Matthews in 2016. That pick is expected to come down to wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.
The sequence is straightforward: a new front office was installed to replace Brad Treliving, Craig Berube was dismissed after two seasons, and now Chayka and Mats Sundin have sat down with Matthews to map their direction as the clock runs toward major roster and leadership decisions.
Auston Matthews Maple Leafs John Chayka Mats Sundin Craig Berube NHL Draft Gavin McKenna Ivar Stenberg