One former Stanley Cup champion believes Auston Matthews is lined up for a big bounce-back season.
Former New Jersey Devils center Mike Rupp — he won a Stanley Cup after hitting the clinching goal in 2003 — recently made an appearance on NHL Network where he made a bold prediction: Matthews will have a “big year” and will score over 40 goals. The prediction comes after Matthews turned in the worst season of his career, posting just 27 goals and 53 points.
“I think this is an automatic over. I think it’s an automatic over just because he has always kind of been that big year, maybe in his realm of what you expect from Auston Matthews, a subpar year, but still 30-some goals or wherever that’s at. The next year will have a big year,” Rupp said. “The last two years you’re waiting for him to kind of get back. And I think he does get back. I think there’s some new excitement in Toronto. I think he kind of, in some ways, put the organization on watch and maybe himself… He wants to ultimately win a Stanley Cup, too.”
Why Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews is Lined Up for a Big Year
The Stanley Cup is obviously the one thing that Matthews has yet to accomplish. The 28-year-old has won the Hart Memorial Trophy, set a salary cap era record with 69 goals in a single season and recently won the gold medal for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Helping lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a deep playoff run and a Stanley Cup are the missing voids on Matthews’ lengthy resume.
The Maple Leafs had a surprisingly disappointing year last season, finishing with the second-least amount of points in the Eastern Conference (78) while missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. It was actually the first time the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs during the Matthews era.
Toronto has since reloaded after the hiring of John Chayka as its new general manager. In his first offseason at the helm, Chayka has signed two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh. To top it all off, the Leafs selected the next great offensive player in Gavin McKenna with the top overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Getting Matthews back on track will obviously be key if the Maple Leafs are going to be Eastern Conference contenders again. Toronto ranked in the middle-of-the-pack on the power play unit, ranking 15th in the league in that category. They also ranked second-to-last in goals allowed, which was a major reason they signed Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21 million contract.
Gavin McKenna Takes Notice of Maple Leafs’ Aggressive Approach This Offseason
McKenna, who is an 18-year-old rookie, has taken notice of the Leafs’ aggressive approach to returning back to being contenders.
“You see what Chayka is doing,” said McKenna. “You see the players he’s bringing in. I think we obviously want to go on a run this year. So it’s very fortunate for me to go to a team like that that’s hungry and in that winning environment. It’s pretty common that players who get drafted first overall go to a team that’s tanking, and that’s not the case for me. I know I’ve gotten lucky.”
It’s clear that Matthews and the Maple Leafs are aiming for a rebound season in 2026-27.
Stanley Cup Champ Sets Lofty Benchmark for Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews