Auston Matthews social media sparks rumor of Leafs new star forward recruitment
The NHL is a small, very interconnected community, as evidenced by Auston Matthews, who shared a post on his Instagram story indicating that he is with Clayton Keller.
Obviously, Keller and Matthews are not teammates. However, given how small the NHL really is, it is no surprise that the players would be friends.
After all, they spent some time on the same teams during their junior career, and both players have represented the United States in international events, often on the same teams as well. So that explains why the two forwards would spend time together, even if they are not on the same NHL club.
Of course, some fans will always read into things like this. Does this mean the Leafs are pursuing Keller? What of Utah wants Auston Matthews? These are the kinds of questions many fans will be asking themselves.
That being said, there does not appear to be any indication from either team that either player will be traded anytime soon. After all, Auston Matthews is too important to the Leafs to be traded.
Similarly Keller, is very important to Utah, but his future with the team is possibly slightly more in question, only because MLSE will likely never agree to a Matthews trade. Could this mean Keller will join the Maple Leafs at some point? Probably not, but it is not entirely impossible.
Perhaps Matthews can convince Keller to join the Leafs when his contract with Utah expires. Perhaps they are even talking about that today as their dogs have a playdate.
Keller is signed through the end of the 2027-28 season. Notably, that is the same time Auston Matthews' contract expires. Perhaps then, the two players joining forces is not as unlikely as we first thought. Four years from now we may very well be looking at a team with both Matthews and Keller, which could be two thirds of one of the best lines in all of hockey.
Source: Maple Leafs Daily
Auston Matthews' recent social media activity leads to some wild speculation
| POLL | ||
Do you think Auston Matthews and Clayton Keller will ever be on the same NHL team? | ||
| Yes | 177 | 39.3 % |
| No | 273 | 60.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
