Elliotte Friedman reveals whether or not the Maple Leafs will trade Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a pretty terrible defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, and now, panic is setting in.

Some feel as though this Maple Leafs team is completely cooked. Others feel as though an organizational change could turn this season around in an instant.

This morning, Elliotte Friedman reported that "consequences" could be on the horizon, and that head coach Craig Berube could become the victim of that.

Some believe the Leafs need to do much more than just change their head coach. For instance, there is a real segment of fans and media members who think the Leafs should just cut their losses, trade the Core Four, and rebuild.

There has been this sense that the Leafs and Auston Matthews are no longer on the same page. While appearing on "The Fan Hockey Show," Friedman was asked about the viability of a Matthews trade.

The insider revealed that this is not something the Leafs would think about or entertain in the middle of a season. However, an existential crisis could still be coming.

An Auston Matthews trade this season is truly unfathomable, and the fact that it would even be mentioned speaks to the audacity of the Toronto media and fanbase.

What is clear, however, is the fact that the Maple Leafs have some real problems, and these problems need to be addressed before things get a whole lot worse.

When you are second-to-last in your own division, it's time to start making some real moves.