Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin has made it clear that he is a massive fan of Auston Matthews. The current Toronto Maple Leafs superstar and Team USA captain is enduring a tough NHL season after collecting the Olympic gold medal. Although he has racked up 53 points in 60 games with the Leafs, his club currently sits bottom of the Atlantic Division.
During a recent appearance on Toronto radio’s First Up, Guerin, also Team USA’s GM for the Olympics, was specifically asked about Matthews. The exec did not hold back on his feelings towards the star forward. “I’ve gotten to know Auston over the last couple of years… and I think the world of him,” proclaimed Guerin.
The exec went on to defend the star’s leadership before claiming that he is still underrated in some aspects. “I think he’s one of the best two-way guys in the game,” continued Guerin. “I think that his defensive game, his two-way game, is completely underrated… He’s a hell of a player. I know he deals with a lot there in Toronto, but I think the world of him.”
The interview certainly caught the attention of fans and fellow execs. Several hockey fans responded to the aforementioned clip on social media with allegations of tampering. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also revealed that an anonymous NHL exec took notice of the situation.
“I was talking to… an executive in the league,” Friedman stated on his 32 Thoughts podcast. “He’s listening to Bill Guerin do interviews about how great Auston Matthews is, and he’s like, ‘Minnesota. Why don’t you just put up a neon sign outside your building that says, come here, Auston? Quinn [Hughes] is waiting for you…Every time Guerin does an interview in Toronto, it’s like, the pitch is on.'”
Minnesota Wild Will Hope Auston Matthews Wants Out of Toronto
GettyAuston Matthews and Quinn Hughes recently led Team USA to Olympic glory.
Toronto almost certainly prefers to keep hold of Matthews beyond the 2025-26 season. The Maple Leafs, however, could be set for a significant roster overhaul in the summer. Team officials already offloaded multiple key players ahead of the recent trade deadline, and they were apparently listening to offers on budding star Matthew Knies.
If Toronto tears things down, Matthews would have a lot of leverage in the situation. The American superstar has a full no-move clause in his current $13.25 million AAV contract. This stipulation means that Matthews can essentially control his future. While he is seemingly happy in Toronto, things could very well change.
Unfortunately for Matthews, he was injured on March 12 thanks to a dirty hit by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. It remains to be seen how severe the setback is, but the star’s teammates immediately received flak for not sticking up for their captain. After the game, Toronto’s Morgan Rielly and William Nylander expressed regret over not going after Gudas for the hit.
Wild Could Have Difficulty Making Room for Star
While fairly unlikely, Matthews may look at the incident and his team’s overall situation and want out. This would put Guerin and Minnesota in an advantageous spot. The superstar is also close with Quinn Hughes, and the two players heaped praise on each other following the Olympic triumph.
Nevertheless, the Wild would likely find it difficult to afford Matthews and Hughes. Guerin previously acquired the star blueliner in a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks. Hughes’ $7.85 million AAV contract is set to expire after the 2026-27 season. According to PuckPedia.com, Minnesota will have about $15 million in cap space this summer, but has multiple holes to fill.
NHL Exec Hints Wild GM Wants to Acquire Auston Matthews