Maple Leafs must answer one question before making a decision on Auston Matthews originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Maple Leafs must fix a long-standing problem before defining the future of forward and captain Auston Matthews, according to the analysis of a pundit.

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On Tuesday’s edition of The Sporting News’ “Hockey Show,” Michael Traikos, Andrew McInnis, and Ken Campbell debated the Maple Leafs’ situation, briefly focusing on the future of Matthews, 28.

Traikos believes it is Matthews himself who must step forward and decide whether he wants to stay with the team, while Campbell disagrees.

“What comes next? I think you’ve got to ask Auston Matthews what comes next, and I think that’s really the first domino that has to fall,” Traikos said.

“If Auston Matthews says he doesn’t have the stomach for what could be a two-to-three-year rebuild, considering he’s got two more years on a contract, then that changes everything that you’re going to be doing in the next couple of years.”

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“If Matthews says, yes, I’m here, I’m here for the long haul in a year, I think he can re-sign on July 1st of 2027. If he says, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be re-signing long-term with this organization, and my plan is to be here for the long haul,’ then that changes exactly everything you’re going to want to do as well. So it all starts with Auston Matthews.”

Campbell, on the other hand, believes the Toronto franchise must ask itself whether it, as an institution, needs Matthews or whether he fits into its plans — taking into account that there will be a reconstruction both internally and at the roster level.

“I just don’t think Auston Matthews has to be any part of this equation in terms of what they’re doing. He’s not everything, absolutely not, Michael. The tail doesn’t wag the dog here,” Campbell said.

“Build your organization. You tell the players what to do. The Leafs have been in this position, in my opinion, historically and now, because they can’t stay out of their own way. What they need is someone to come in and give him the latitude to do what he thinks he needs to do to build this organization into a Stanley Cup contender,” he added.

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“And the Leafs have not done that. They didn’t do it with Brad Treliving. They haven’t done it in the past. They’ve got to stay out of their own way.”

Following Monday’s 5-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the Maple Leafs improved to 32-30-13 and postponed their playoff elimination, though they remain 11 points out of a spot with only seven games remaining.

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