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NHL Notebook: Auston Matthews uncertain about future with Maple Leafs, NHL Draft Lottery tonight
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Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Alicia LaBine
May 5, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: May 5, 2026, 18:17 EDT
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Auston Matthews’ future in Toronto is reportedly dependent on what the Toronto Maple Leafs’ new management can do this off-season.
According to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, there are currently no guarantees that the Arizona native will be back with the Leafs for the 2026-27 season.
“Matthews has two years remaining on his contract, but still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in Toronto in the fall, according to league sources,” Johnston wrote.
On Monday, the Leafs added John Chayka as the new general manager, and former captain and Hall of Famer Mats Sundin as a senior executive adviser of hockey operations. Now, Matthews is already challenging the new arrivals to make substantial moves that make a return to Toronto seem appealing to the superstar centre.
The Leafs finished second last in the Atlantic Division this year with 38 wins and 78 points. This was the first time the team has missed the playoffs in the Matthews era.
“The only sales pitch Matthews needs at this stage is real action, according to league sources,” Johnston added. “Before committing to another season in Toronto, he wants to see a roster that has been meaningfully upgraded through trades and free agency. This isn’t about selling him on a fancy 12-point plan or a bunch of vague promises. Seeing is believing.”
Matthews signed a four-year, $53-million contract in 2023 that began in the 2024-25 season. His contract includes a no-movement clause that ultimately gives Matthews the final say in where he ends up, limiting the Leafs’ potential return for one of the best players in the league.
“At best, you’d be hoping for a multi-pronged package of future assets similar to what the Vancouver Canucks got back when they traded Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in December,” Johnston wrote. “A handful of magic beans for a proven game-breaking commodity.”
If Matthews were to request a trade this offseason, that would be two offseasons in a row of losing superstar players, after they traded Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights last year in a sign-and-trade exchange for Nicolas Roy.
The captain of the Maple Leafs was drafted first overall by the team in 2016, and has been their most productive goalscorer ever since scoring four in his first NHL game. Since then, Matthews has played in 689 games for the club, scoring 428 goals and 780 points.
But lack of playoff success has haunted his tenure. Only twice have the Leafs advanced to the second round, 2023 and 2025, since he’s wore the blue and white.

NHL Draft Lottery Tonight

The first overall selection of the 2026 NHL Draft will be awarded to the winner of the Draft Lottery on Tuesday night at 5:00 p.m. MT.
The Vancouver Canucks are currently the favourites to win the selection, as they had a disastrous season that saw them finish last in the league. Their 25-49-8 record had them finish 14 points worse the second last team, the Chicago Blackhawks, and their odds currently sit at 25.5 per cent for the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.
McKenna seems to be the consensus pick in this year’s draft, unless there is a surprise, like when the Montreal Canadiens elected to take Juraj Slafkovsky over Shane Wright in 2022.
The current draft favourite had 15 goals and 51 points throughout 35 games with Penn University this season. At the 2026 IIHF World Juniors where Team Canada won bronze, he logged seven goals and 14 points through seven games.
The Chicago Blackhawks finished last in the Central Division with 29 wins and 72 points, have the second-best odds at 13.5 per cent to win the first pick. The Hawks are looking to give their superstar forward Connor Bedard, who they drafted first overall in 2023, more reinforcements. The addition of another first overall like McKenna could be just what the doctor ordered.
Other Canadian teams such as the Calgary Flames (9.5 per cent), Toronto Maple Leafs (8.5 per cent) and Winnipeg Jets (6.5 per cent) could also strike gold and take home the first overall selection.
In last year’s draft, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite having the tenth-highest odds in the league. They selected Matthew Schaefer, who has gone on to be one of the leaders in Calder Memorial Trophy voting this season, as the 18-year-old posted 23 goals and 59 points in 82 games as a rookie defenseman.
Despite previous reporting, TSN’s Darren Dreger said on Tuesday afternoon that Gavin McKenna will not play for Canada at the World Championships. Instead, he’ll focus on the upcoming NHL Combine.
If Gavin McKenna is selected first overall in this year’s NHL Draft, then that will make him the fourth Canadian first overall pick in the last four drafts, and the 44th in the league’s 61 drafts.

Gustavsson to start for Wild

The Minnesota Wild are shaking things up in net following their 9-6 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
After Jesper Wallstedt allowed eight goals on 42 shots, the Wild have decided to start Filip Gustavsson for Game 2 of their second round series.
In the first round, the rookie goaltender was arguably the best player in the series against the Dallas Stars. Wallstedt lead the team to their first playoff series win in 11 years with a .924 save percentage (Sv%) and a 2.05 goals against average (GAA).
After the Avalanche rolled the Wild’s defence over in Game 1, Wallstedt’s playoff stats fell drastically, he now holds a .903 Sv% and a 2.81 GAA through seven games. The young goalie has played a lot of hockey over the last few weeks, and a bit of rest might do him well.
Gustavsson has 11 games of playoff experience, with a 2.53 GAA and .917 Sv%. Both of his playoff appearances have come with the Minnesota Wild after he was traded to the team by the Ottawa Senators for Cam Talbot, in 2022.
He played 50 games during the 2025-26 season, recording 28 wins and four shutouts, while posting a 2.69 GAA and a .904 Sv%. This Swede is yet to win a playoff series, and has a tall order of going against the Presidents’ Trophy winners in Game 2.
For the Wild, offence was not an issue in Game 1 as they rallied to score six goals on 36 shots, with six different players lighting the lamp Marcus Johansson, Ryan Hartman, Vladimir Tarasenko, Quinn Hughes, Marcus Foligno, and Mats Zuccarello.
Game 2 is Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. MT.

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