Auston Matthews and his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the biggest story of the 2026 NHL offseason. Matthews wants to see if Toronto can get itself back into a playoff contender before committing to a second season. So, could the 28-year-old superstar really request a trade this summer?

The insider told Overdrive that TSN’s Darren Dreger doesn’t believe there’s any chance Matthews will request a trade unless the Maple Leafs complete a full rebuild. Toronto just got the first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and still has playoff pieces on the roster. Therefore, it would not be very wise to do a complete rebuild right now.

However, would it still be best for Matthews to request a trade this offseason?

Should Auston Matthews request a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Matthews is 28 years old and still one of the biggest superstars in the NHL. Toronto hasn’t gotten very far in the Stanley Cup playoffs with its captain, but it has the potential to do so soon. So, should Matthews remain captain of the Maple Leafs?

Absolutely. Matthews still has William Nylander, Matthew Nease and John Tavares and the No. 1 overall draft pick coming soon. More likely, Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg will join Toronto during the 2026–27 NHL season, giving the organization another future NHL star.

Matthews has plenty of time to win a Stanley Cup in Toronto, and earning the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft is an excellent start. Certainly, the Maple Leafs center wants to see more from the organization this summer, but there is already a solid foundation in place for the future.

Other teams, such as the Minnesota Wild or Utah Mammoth, could give Matthews a good chance to win; However, is it really that much better than Toronto? Maple Leafs fans love Matthews and the team will be much better next season.

More than likely, Matthews will be back in Toronto next season and the future is very bright.

READ MORE: Minnesota Wild linked to Auston Matthews amid trade rumors

Austin Konensky is a writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and more. His work can also…more about Austin Konensky

The Toronto Blue Jays have struggled to get where they are now. The reigning winners of the American League pennant have struggled to start the year. Their stars are not playing well and many of their players are injured. This impacted the club dramatically, causing them to fall to third place in the AL East with an 18–22 record.

Barger’s heralded return

That’s why the return of Addison Barger was such wonderful news. With 21 home runs in the regular season and a .480 batting average in the World Series, he was a key part of last season’s team. It was hoped that his return would prove to be a catalyst to get the Jays back to their winning ways.

Sadly, it was not to be. Barger played in just one game before being placed on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, but his absence is notable for Toronto. On Saturday, he had the fastest outfield assist in MLB this season (101.2 mph) to get Jorge Soler out at the plate on a sacrifice fly attempt.

His return can’t come soon enough for the Jays. Despite his disappointing .045 batting average this season, it’s important to note the small sample size (22 at-bats) — it’s not enough to say that Barger can’t repeat his breakout numbers from 2025.

Bulk relief role is not working

On the other hand, swingman Eric Lauer was designated for assignment after a poor start to 2026. He is pitching to a 6.69 ERA in 36 1/3 innings and has an unusually high 1.49 WHIP.

Similar to Barger, Lauer had a breakout 2025 campaign. The left-hander posted a career-low 3.18 ERA in 104 2/3 innings. Despite switching between starting and relief roles he was not quiet about his desire to remain as the starter. With the Blue Jays dealing with several injuries to their starting group, Lauer was mostly granted his wishes, but still had to prove himself. He has not done this well.

While the DFA wasn’t entirely unexpected in that regard, it appears to have been a much-needed change for the Blue Jays as they try to right the ship and take charge in a Central American league. It remains to be seen whether they can do so, but these moves at least mark an attempt to do so.

Who is taking his place?

In the same move, outfielder Yohendrick Pinango was recalled from Triple-A and right-hander Yariel Rodriguez was optioned to Toronto’s roster. Neither have an incredible amount of major-league experience, yet they have impressed so far.

Pinango has played in 10 games for the Jays this year, posting a .423/.444/.462 slash line. He has been regarded as more of a depth guy than a regular contributor in Triple-A. However, it’s possible that he could earn a bigger role with the club if he continues to post these types of numbers. He has put up more practical (though still impressive) statistics in Triple-A, slashing .288/.370/.488 in 22 games this year.

Rodriguez has spent a lot of time with Toronto over the last two years. The righty started 21 games for the club in ’24 and pitched in relief in ’25. His results were mostly solid, although he was better as a back-end starter. His performance has been very similar to Lauer’s, posting a 4.47 ERA in his starts in ’24 and a 3.08 mark in the bullpen in ’25.

He has impressed in the Minors, with a 2.63 ERA in 11 games this season. Rodriguez only started one of those games, so it seems likely he will serve as a big reliever similar to Lauer. But how it is deployed remains to be seen. If both can perform well, it would be a big boost for the Blue Jays.

While the Montreal Canadiens attempt to even up their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres, their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, have been pushed to the brink in the AHL playoffs.

As things stand, Laval is tied 2-2 in their series against the Toronto Marlies, and considering this is the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, it’s a best-of-five situation. In other words, Game 5, scheduled for 3 pm ET on Saturday, will decide the winner of the series.

It’s a less-than-ideal scenario for the Rockets, a team that has endured spectacular adversity in a season that has seen many of its best players make their way to Montreal.

Luckily for Laval, defenseman Adam Engstrom was recently returned to the AHL, but the fact remains that they are playing without their starting goaltender Jacob Fowler, who is currently serving as Jacob Dobbs’ backup in the NHL.

Even when we take into account the losses of players like Engstrom, David Rickenbacker, Jared Davidson, Florian Czekaj, Joshua Roy and Owen Beck at various stretches of the NHL, it’s worth noting that Laval has managed to overcome long stretches of tough spots to capture the North Division title, which means they’ll have home-ice advantage in Game 5 on Saturday, a significant advantage given the NHL-like environment for the Rockets. Fans form at the Place Bell on any game day.

This is extremely important in this particular case, as the Rockets are facing a can’t-lose situation against the Marlies in what can only be described as a physical series.

oh my bake pic.twitter.com/yD7k9OQ0ak

– xy – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) 29 April 2026

If the Rockets lose, their encouraging season will be quickly forgotten, and labeled another failed playoff push.

If they win, as expected, they will advance to the next round, but they will receive little praise from analysts and fans. More than anything, this would be described as loss aversion.

It’s not an easy scenario to face, but it’s one filled with adversity, a recurring theme in both Montreal and Laval.

And like the Habs, the Rockets perform best with their backs against the wall.

Florian 🚨 1-0 pic.twitter.com/SxI6DRC2NO

– xy – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) 29 April 2026

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

The New Jersey Devils’ decision to trade Sunny Mehta out from under the Toronto Maple Leafs is looking like pure highway robbery, as the Leafs selected John Chayka as their new general manager on Monday.

Mehta was the leading candidate for the GM position in Toronto before the Devils promptly fired Tom Fitzgerald and hired his successor just 10 days later.

A smart move by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) forced Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) to pivot, hiring Chayka as their 19th GM in history and Matt Sundin as senior executive advisor of hockey operations.

The initial announcement shocked the hockey world.

Chayka – a man who hasn’t worked in the NHL since he was suspended by Gary Bettman five years ago to pursue new opportunities around the league despite having three years remaining on his contract – comes in with a controversial background.

Ironically, he was in talks with the same ownership group that hired Mehta over interest in Chayka in 2021.

It is safe to say that it was a learning experience for HBSE.

Chayka’s appointment is being heavily criticized in Toronto. One claim says the Maple Leafs are not acting like a serious hockey team.

This conclusion was reached because the Maple Leafs are heading into one of the most important offseasons in their franchise history – similar to the Devils – and can only come to terms with a manager who has been absent from an NHL front office for the past five years, and a fan favorite without front office experience.

Again allegations are coming from Toronto media

Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun told Keith Pelley, “I’ve been in contact with about 20 people who work in the NHL, many of whom are major names we’ll all know.” “One of them supported and the other 19 thought it was a sham. Words like fraudster, liar and salesman were used.”

Pelé could only respond to that claim with “talking to different people”, while pointing to an overall process.

Suffice it to say, the Maple Leafs’ new direction is a surprise.

Granted, there were reports that the Devils were also interested in Chayka, but sources indicated the interest did not amount to anything more than that, and was derived from Chayka’s past history with HBSE.

Thus, it’s Chayka’s turn in Toronto, who hasn’t had much to do in his first managerial stint with the Arizona Coyotes. And it certainly feels like the Sundin hire is partly to help win over the doubters with the nostalgia that comes with being a Hall-of-Famer.

While the devils went in a different direction. Of course, it’s true that Mehta is a good fit because he was previously in the Devils organization.

However, Mehta’s resume – which landed him the Devils GM position – has earned HBSE a universally A-grade in terms of recruiting.

He helped build the Devils’ hockey analytics department, exposed Jesper Bratt in the 2016 NHL Draft, moved to the Washington Capitals — and also helped build their analytics department before being employed by the Florida Panthers and helping them win two Stanley Cups.

Certainly, Chayka – CEO of JKC Capital, a family-run business that reportedly owns 50 Wendy’s franchises and five Tim Hortons franchises in Ontario and Quebec – has plenty of runway to prove us all wrong.

However, as it stands, the Devils appear to be the adults in the room with home run fare, while the Maple Leafs fanned the flames in Toronto despite their intentions to stop the burning.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Well, the offseason has arrived somewhat early for some organizations. And I don’t mean because they’ve been mathematically eliminated. For the second time in as many nights, and the NHL organization has made a major change to its personnel, leaving New Jersey Devils fans wondering if they will follow through.

However, if I were you I wouldn’t hold my breath.

In the links, the latest discussion about the Devils head coaching situation, Tom Fitzgerald, and more.

Also, big mess in Toronto.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: As soon as Bruce Cassidy was let go on Sunday, a few people immediately messaged me asking if I thought he would be a good fit for the New Jersey bench. Well, here’s why I’m not so sure about it, as well as why Sheldon Keefe may not be going anywhere.

And there is a man who is going to take this decision. Or…is there? At this point, I’m not expecting Tom Fitzgerald to be fired as Devils GM. However, could he be stripped of his presidency?

On Sunday, not only did the Devils celebrate a win, but so did Nico Hischier. If you can believe it, the Devils captain has already skated in his 600th NHL game. Our own Pat Pickens captured the moment and received lots of praise from teammates and coaches.

📺 devil’s rink report: Here’s Jack Hughes on the Devils’ latest win, Hischier’s career and more.

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday! At 1K subscribers, we’ll start publishing on your favorite podcast platform!

Too! Devil’s Rink Report is now on TikTok – follow us here.

sign up for new jersey hockey now Newsletter for daily Devils intel straight to your inbox.

NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: Brennan Othman is happy that the New York Rangers traded him earlier this month. He revealed this during his debut for the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Pittsburgh hockey now: Weren’t the New York Islanders winning this game 3-1 at some point? The scrappy Pittsburgh Penguins made a complete comeback and defeated them 8–3. Hear more from Dan Kingerski about what you need to get there.

San Jose Hockey Now: The scouting report on Michael Misa is that he is going to put up some interesting numbers in his NHL career. Not now. However, what can he do now to earn more minutes with the San Jose Sharks?

Philly hockey now: I think this should have been done earlier, but I believe its better late than never. The Philadelphia Flyers and Trevor Zegras are finally in the midst of extension talks.

Detroit hockey now: Whether they make the playoffs or not, this is why Bob Duff believes Steve Yzerman will remain the Detroit Red Wings GM.

Athletic ($): In a news dump late last night the Toronto Maple Leafs fired GM Brad Treliving before the season ended. And although it didn’t work out for him, James Myrtle says MLSE has made a big mess for the Leafs after three years of failure.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Man, it’s hard to look at how the New Jersey Devils have been playing lately and not wonder how they’ll look with Jack Hughes in the lineup for a full 82 games. However, Hughes’ absence this season is not the only reason for their unsuccessful season.

More information about what led them to this disastrous result is provided in the link below.

Elsewhere, a shocking head coach swap, who is to blame, and Toronto seek revenge.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: Yesterday’s win was good. A game in which the Devils were doing everything right, but just weren’t dropping the puck in the first half. And then the flood came, and Jack Hughes led the Devils to their 10th win in their last 14 games. However, the season is lost. And, unfortunately, this is a microcosm of Jacob Markstrom’s poor performance this year. More from our Pat Pickens.

📺 devil’s rink report:I was unconscious due to fever on Friday, so we didn’t record any new episodes last week. First time for everything, I guess. However, we will be back on Friday.

However, you can still visit the Devils Rink Report channel for updates. Here’s Jack Hughes on the Devils’ latest win, Nico Hischier’s 600th win, scoring on his friend Spencer Knight, and more:

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday! At 1K subscribers, we’ll start publishing on your favorite podcast platform!

Too! Devil’s Rink Report is now on TikTok – follow us here.

sign up for new jersey hockey now Newsletter for daily Devils intel straight to your inbox.

NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: This isn’t New York Rangers related, but Jim Cerny always makes the connection. Former Blueshirts bench boss John Tortorella got a job that shocked the world. He is now the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, who immediately fired Bruce Cassidy on Sunday.

Athletic ($): So, the Golden Knights remain true to their tireless nature, pursuing Cassidy, the coach who led them to their first Stanley Cup. Is he really guilty?

Florida hockey now: Despite the fact that they are unlikely to make the playoffs, fans are definitely hoping that Sasha Barkov will play for the Florida Panthers. Paul Morrissey has an update on this, and it’s not what they want to hear.

Sportsnet: If you weren’t planning on watching much hockey tonight, you might want to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs’ tilt with the Anaheim Ducks. After Radko Gudas took a knee with Auston Matthews in their last meeting, the Leafs explained they would be “excited” tonight – a game Gudas vowed to play.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

With Cade Cunningham firing on all cylinders throughout the season, the Detroit Pistons have emerged as a major force in the current campaign. They currently lead the Eastern Conference with a 49–19 record. A similar uptrend has been evident with the Toronto Raptors, who finished 11th in the East last season, but currently sit in 5th with a 38-29 record.

However, for former Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell, the Raptors may be even more talented than the Pistons, according to a post on X by Omar Osman, despite both teams’ current records.

Sam Mitchell says the Toronto Raptors may have more talent than the first-seeded Detroit Pistons overall 👀:

“You think about Cade Cunningham, who’s his second best player?”

“Look at the Raptors. You got Scotty Barnes and Bey. They’re your 2 best players.”

“You see… pic.twitter.com/zzr39iikJR

– Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) 18 March 2026

“You think about Cade Cunningham, who’s their second best player? Look at the Raptors. You got Scotty Barnes and BI. Those are your 2 best players,” he said during his appearance on TSN, citing the huge gap between the Pistons’ best and second best players.

This may be understandable since Cunningham is the only Pistons player averaging more than twenty points per game, with Duncan Robinson, who is going at 19 points per game, the only other player averaging more than 15 points a pop. In comparison, the Raptors have a more balanced offensive engine, with RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes averaging more than 15 points per game.

“You look at the center position. Jakob Poeltl and Duren? About the same. So if you look at this Raptors team, and you look at what players have accomplished on the Raptors, you can argue that the Raptors might be a better team in terms of talent than Detroit,” Mitchell concluded.

Of course, Mitchell has a point considering that the Raptors are hardly viewed as favorites to make it out of the Eastern Conference. Detroit has an offensive engine that relies heavily on Cunningham.

However, they still went 5-2 without their main man and fans will argue that their scoring is actually a result of the extremely physical bad-boys-throwback type of basketball they have adopted under JB Bickerstaff. This has resulted in an impressive 25-8 home record this season, which can only be expected to extend into the playoffs.

前美國職業足球大聯盟前鋒羅伯特·恩肖打破了沉默，講述了他轉會多倫多足球俱樂部以及當時導致他與加拿大隊簽約的事件。

2013年3月，31歲的他從英國球隊卡迪夫城加盟多倫多足球俱樂部，當年他租借到以色列特拉維夫馬卡比俱樂部。

恩肖也在英格蘭踢過很多比賽，被廣泛認為是唯一一位在英超聯賽、英格蘭足球聯賽所有三個級別、足總杯、聯賽杯以及代表威爾士參加的國際比賽中上演帽子戲法的足球運動員。

這一令人難以置信的成就在他當年轉會至紅軍期間很快得到了多倫多足球俱樂部的認可。球隊總裁兼總經理凱文·佩恩當時談到恩肖的簽約時說道：

“羅比是一位經驗豐富的球員，他一直是俱樂部和國家隊的穩定進球手。憑藉他的速度和狡猾，我們希望他能夠為對方的防守創造挑戰。我們很高興他加入我們的球隊。”

羅伯特·恩肖透露“意外”轉會至多倫多足球俱樂部是如何發生的

羅伯特·恩肖 (Robert Earnshaw) 在周一接受 BetVictor Casino 採訪時透露 運動員 他一直準備好參加美國職業足球大聯盟(MLS)，但實際上對讓他轉會多倫多成為現實的電話毫無準備。

“我做好了準備，因為有些事情我一直想做……但是，我沒有準備好接到電話，因為它確實發生在周日下午，而且是不知從何而來的電話，”他說。

“我沒想到會這樣，我什至沒有想到美國職業足球大聯盟。所以，從這個角度來看，這是全新的，對這個電話感到完全驚訝。就像你在搬家時處理很多這樣的事情一樣，你會隨機接到一個電話說，‘你有興趣嗎？但我們必須非常非常快地搬家。’

恩肖進一步表示，雖然那次電話談話是出乎意料的，但他真的很高興能加入球隊並在聯盟打球。

“瘋狂的是，那是周日下午，週三早上我抵達多倫多。所以，我已經準備好搬遷了，這麼說吧。我已經準備好了，而且我認為它來得正是時候。

“不過，這是一個讓我感到興奮的聯賽。我實際上確實想出去，在我完全做出決定之前，我感到很興奮，”他補充道。

羅伯特·恩肖（Robert Earnshaw）在紅軍效力期間，為多倫多足球俱樂部出場 27 場比賽，攻入 8 粒進球。他還曾在美國職業足球大聯盟（MLS）效力，效力於溫哥華白帽隊和芝加哥火焰隊。

自 2019 年首次涉足在線新聞業以來，Peter Okereke 在娛樂、政治和流行領域撰寫了大量文章……更多關於 Peter Okereke