ESPN reporter links Auston Matthews to Western Conference franchise

Auston Matthews is the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and there is plenty of debate surrounding how much longer he will stay with the team.

With the Leafs looking to be sellers at the trade deadline, there is this sense that he could end up leaving in a year or two.

Matthews is going to want a Stanley Cup, and if the Leafs go into rebuild mode, then the captain will certainly be motivated to go somewhere else.

As it turns out, the captain is a free agent in 2028, and there are plenty of teams he could go to. One of those teams is on the West Coast.

According to ESPN reporter Greg Wyshynski, there is something interesting happening with the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings signed Artemi Panarin through 2028. In Wyshynski's mind, this may have been done as a way to open the floor to Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews once the Summer of 2028 comes around.

It is something very interesting to consider, especially if you are a Toronto Maple Leafs fan who wants Matthews to retire with the Leafs.

In 2028, the Leafs' situation could be entirely different from what it is now. There is no telling whether or not the team will still be title contenders.

If they're not, then Matthews is well within his rights to move on and go somewhere entirely different, especially if he is in his 30s.

Needless to say, the next couple of years are going to be a mix of fascinating and maybe even a bit terrifying.

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