With the William Nylander saga wrapped up, one of the next major tasks facing Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas could be fending off potential suitors for Auston Matthews, who'll be a restricted free agent following this season.
"There is widespread feeling within the industry that Auston Matthews would be the rare player who would be targeted by an offer sheet," Sportsnet's Chris Johnston said during Hockey Night in Canada's "Headlines" segment.
Offer sheets in today's NHL are a rare occurrence. The last player to sign one was Ryan O'Reilly with the Calgary Flames in 2013, but the Colorado Avalanche quickly matched it and retained his services.
Matthews would have to be willing to sign a potential offer sheet, and he and the Maple Leafs have until July 1 before another team could attempt to poach the 21-year-old superstar. Mitch Marner is scheduled to join Matthews in restricted free agency next summer.
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