Major statement regarding rumors of Auston Matthews being sent to the Arizona Coyotes
PUBLICATION
Jeff Drouin
May 20, 2022 (12:02)
For the past few years, ever since Auston Matthews signed his current five-season contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, many observers and pundits have preciously circled the date of July 1, 2024 on their calendars: the date when one of the best young players in the world will become an unrestricted free agent and free as a bird.
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.
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Today, there is a major development.
See what the highly regarded Chris Johnston (TSN) just said:
"I can tell you, with 100% certainty, that Auston Matthews will not play in Arizona" - Johnston, when asked about free agent status for Matthews in 2024
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.
Previously on HabsFanatics
| POLL |
20 MAI | 452 ANSWERS Major statement regarding rumors of Auston Matthews being sent to the Arizona Coyotes Will Matthews resign in Toronto in 2 years? |
| Yes | 156 | 34.5 % |
| No he’s leaving! | 296 | 65.5 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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