Elliotte Friedman drops bold Auston Matthews prediction following Mitch Marner’s exit

Auston Matthews enters a new season as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs without longtime teammate Mitch Marner. Matthews is one of the best players in the world, and many want to see how he adapts to Marner’s departure.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman expressed belief that Matthews will use it as motivation.

“Matthews, first of all, I think he's going to have a monster year,” Friedman said on Thursday (22:34), via the "32 Thoughts" podcast. “I think he is eager to show because there's all this talk with Marner gone. Who's going to get him the pot? Is he going to be able to score as much? It's like dating. If it doesn't work out, you have to move on today.”

Friedman added that Matthews might take the doubts personally.

“I don't know if Matthews would ever admit it, but I think he would be like, ‘I take that personally, that people don't think I can score as much without him,’” Friedman said (26:00).

"I mean, we'll find the proof 82 games from now and the playoffs from now, but I think he would use that as a huge motivator that people don't think he can score as much under this new world. And I'm curious to see how it all goes."

Matthews scored 33 goals and had 78 points in 67 games last season, despite missing 15 games due to injuries. He ranked third in the team in goals, and in the playoffs, he had 11 points in 13 games. Matthews' scoring slowed late in the series against Florida, but he still played over 20 minutes per game and contributed on the power play.

Auston Matthews responds to Mitch Marner’s exit

Auston Matthews addressed questions on Sunday about Mitch Marner's departure from the Maple Leafs with a calm but firm tone. After nearly a decade playing together, Matthews is adjusting to a new reality without his longtime teammate.

“You got two more weeks, and then we’re done with these questions,” Matthews said, via "Spittin' Chiclets."

Marner’s move to Vegas leaves a big gap in Toronto. The forward signed an eight-year $96 million contract with the Leafs before he was traded. He spent his entire NHL career with Toronto, scoring 102 points in 81 games last season.

“My whole mindset, the whole time I was in Toronto, was that it was really tough to leave Toronto, to be honest,” Marner said in his Vegas introductory press conference in July.

The Maple Leafs will rely more on Matthews to lead the team. His four-year $53 million contract runs through the 2027-28 season, and he will be a key player for Toronto.