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Marchand's Joke Ignites Matthews Trade Speculation
8 Jan
Summary
- Marchand's offhand comment fueled recent trade rumors about Auston Matthews.
- Matthews recently surpassed Mats Sundin as the Maple Leafs' all-time leading scorer.
- The Maple Leafs defeated the Panthers 4-2 in the game following Marchand's remark.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has been the subject of intense media focus throughout the 2025-26 NHL season. Recently, Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand's comments, intended as provocative humor, unexpectedly fueled fresh trade rumors surrounding Matthews. Marchand's suggestion that Matthews might break more records "if he's still here" quickly circulated across NHL news and social media.
These remarks resurfaced speculation that had previously been dismissed due to Matthews' contract and no-movement clause. However, his recent performance, with seven goals and 11 points in five games, had quieted the noise until Marchand's statement brought it back. This comes shortly after Matthews surpassed Mats Sundin to become the Maple Leafs' all-time leading goal scorer, cementing his importance to the team.




