Leaf nation: Frank Serravalle on the last participation of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Aston Matthews.
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“Two different things are going on right now. Pushing and pulling.
On the one hand, you have Brad Triliving who got through a really tough situation with Johnny Goudreau and watched him go through the season and then walk away for nothing. And I don’t think anyone thinks Auston Matthews is thinking along that path, but still, there’s a real boost from the Leafs’ perspective from Brad Triliving and that creepy tapestry, for locking him up for so long before, at least the mid-term before July 1st. So you can put it to bed and put it to rest.
Then you have on the other hand the Matthews camp, which has said and done all the right things up to this point. I intend to be Toronto Maple Leaf. I would like to sign before the season starts. But leaves kind of an open, open date for, well, when?
I think the thought process was, what would happen if Brad Treleving and the Toronto Maple Leafs gave Austin Matthews everything he wanted? Contract, term, etc., at least. Auston Matthews asked for an “X” and she gave him an “X”. But what if he hasn’t signed yet? I don’t think they are in a hurry to sign, at least they understand.
So those two things go against each other and that puts Leaf in, kind of in a really uncomfortable position to be in. And he’s like, “Hey, we’ll bend over backwards to make you happy, and if it’s still not good enough. Then what do we say if it’s not good enough in late June that it’s suddenly good enough in September or December or February when we get close to the date?” Final for trading?
The Leafs can’t be in a situation where one year from now Austin Matthews goes into free agency and leaves. So I think it’s a really uncomfortable place for Brad Triliving to be.”