This will be a huge potential catch for an NHL organization.
However, some believed that his fate was already decided.
As you know, by signing for five years (instead of three or four), Matthews made sure to become an uncompensated free agent as soon as possible, so many concluded that he didn't want to make a long-term commitment to Toronto and probably wanted to sign in Arizona, to return home and become a true national hero there.
This has been one of the big persistent rumors in the NHL for the past two years.
In some articles, some journalists even took for granted that Matthews would be in Arizona as early as the 2024 season. The Coyotes have the majority of their contracts expiring that year, so they will have plenty of room to make an astronomical offer to Matthews.
Today, there is a major development.
See what the highly regarded Chris Johnston (TSN) just said:
Wow that has the makings of being very clear, very emphatic and very specific. So we can cross off that collective opinion we had: the Arizona Coyotes will not sign Auston Matthews.
Nonetheless, it would be a fascinating deal to watch in two years.
POLL | ||
20 MAI | 1265 ANSWERS Big statement regarding Auston Matthews playing for the Arizona Coyotes Will Auston Matthews resign with the Maple Leafs? | ||
Yes | 752 | 59.4 % |
No | 513 | 40.6 % |
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