Well, it was a good run boys. Drafting Nylander, Marner and Matthews in consecutive years landed nine straight years of playoff hockey, you just couldn’t find the right mix with all that money tied up in four players. I look forward to Matthews coming home this summer (USA) and to see what your new rebuild looks like going forward.
I’d love to see Matthews come ‘home’ (and it to be to the Rangers) but I highly doubt it happens this summer – that’ just a silly pipe dream for us fans of US teams.
He will ride out this contract and make all the money he can with endorsements while he is the captain of the Leafs (because let’s not pretend any US based team would provide him the opportunity to make the endorsement money he does in Toronto) and then come home. It may be during his last contract year like at the deadline but no shot he’s leaving Toronto this summer.
Nylander I’m not sure on. I think he’s pretty happy in Toronto and may be fine with sticking around knowing he will be the last man standing of the big 3 draft picks you named and may be able to be part of the Leafs going deeper than they have since the 90’s.
Guess we will see.