Can the Maple Leafs Keep Auston Matthews in Canada?

There’s something interesting happening around the NHL right now. American hockey players have more choices than they used to. The U.S. is producing more elite players, college hockey is getting stronger, and there are more good NHL markets south of the border. So if you're an American star, why wouldn't you want to play closer to home?

That makes Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs an interesting case.

Matthews grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. He wasn't raised dreaming about playing for the Maple Leafs. He became a superstar in Toronto after the Maple Leafs selected him first overall in 2016. And yet, for a long time, he seemed pretty comfortable with it.

In fact, when Matthews signed his current four-year contract in 2023, he talked about Toronto feeling like home. That deal takes him through the 2027-28 season. But now things are a little different.

Matthews is older. He's the captain. He's been through the pressure of Toronto for a decade. And after the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs in 2026, he admitted he couldn't predict what his future would look like once his contract expires. That's where the American-player issue becomes interesting.

How does Matthews feel about playing and living in Canada?

It isn't necessarily that Matthews wants to leave Canada. It's that he doesn't have to stay in Canada. If he wanted to go home, there would be American teams lining up. He could play in a U.S. market, spend more of his time around family and friends, and avoid at least some of the intensity that comes with being Auston Matthews in Toronto. He's experienced both sides of that life.

In Arizona, he can walk around relatively anonymously. In Toronto, he can't exactly run to the grocery store without somebody knowing who he is. But here's the thing I keep coming back to.

Matthews chose Toronto before. And the Maple Leafs now have a chance to give him another reason to choose it again. John Chayka has said Matthews wants to win in Toronto, and Jim Hiller has said Matthews is excited about the direction of the team.

It’s up to the Maple Leafs to give Matthews reasons for staying.

So maybe the question isn't whether Toronto can keep an American star in Canada. Maybe it's about whether Toronto can give Auston Matthews enough reasons to stay that going home simply isn’t worth it.

And that might be one of the biggest things John Chayka has to figure out over the next two seasons.