Reporter claims Leafs captain Auston Matthews is close to making a trade request
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews got booed by the fans on Tuesday night, and after giving it right back to them, there are fears about the relationship.
Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a contentious relationship over the past couple of seasons, and it all started when he became the captain.
Being a captain means larger responsibilities. While he might be a good leader internally, we simply have not seen it on the ice. His production has taken a major hit, and with just 23 points in 27 games this season, fans are wondering what's wrong.
On Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, Matthews and his teammates were showered in boos. In the third period, Matthews tied up the game and gave it right back to the spectators.
While some see this as an innocuous moment, there are others who believe that this is a guarantee that Auston Matthews will request a trade in short order.
Howard Berger believes Auston Matthews is gone
In the Toronto Star, Nick Kypreos wrote about Matthews and how he can still become the player he used to be, despite the recent downturn.
However, Howard Berger sees it differently. In his mind, Matthews will be requesting a trade by the March deadline. Berger also believes change would be good for both sides.
Nick Kypreos tried to put a positive spin on Auston Matthews in the Star today. But, there's nothing left. The #Leafs won't move forward until he asks out of town. Which will happen, possibly by the trade deadline. Good regular season player. Mediocre when it matters. Team and captain are overdue for change.
The demise of Auston Matthews
Last season, Matthews missed 15 games with a nagging injury and only managed 33 goals in 67 games. This season, he has 14 goals in 27 games.
Considering the fact that the captain had 69 goals just a couple of seasons ago, these numbers are just unacceptable, and everyone knows it.
There is chatter that Matthews has some sort of career-altering injury. But at this stage, it is impossible to tell. All we know is that Matthews is not what he used to be, and it is dragging the Leafs down.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 18 | 673 ANSWERS Reporter claims Leafs captain Auston Matthews is close to making a trade request Do you believe Auston Matthews will request a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 504 | 74.9 % |
| NO | 169 | 25.1 % |
| List of polls | ||