Auston Matthews eyes fresh start with Maple Leafs
GM John Chayka says Matthews is nearly 100% fit for training camp, with the captain focused solely on winning after his injury-shortened season.
Matthews finished the 2025/26 season early because of a knee injury, having scored 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games. He has two years left on his contract at a cap hit of $13.25 million and can become an unrestricted free agent once it expires. Toronto missed the play-offs for the first time since 2016 and won the draft lottery, using the first overall pick on forward Gavin McKenna.
Kyle, 37, was appointed general manager in May. He said Matthews is now "practically 100% physically ready" for the Maple Leafs' first on-ice training-camp session, scheduled for Thursday.
There had been talk over the summer that the captain wanted guarantees about the club's direction. Kyle said that was never really the issue, and that in his dealings with Matthews it was usually the other way round — the player pushing the front office toward his own view of what suits Toronto best.
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