The Toronto Maple Leafs reached the Olympic break with some positive results, but doubts around the team have not gone away. The recent run has not changed the bigger picture. Now, some discussions have also touched on how the team is built and managed.
One such conversation placed more attention on Captain Auston Matthews and how he is being judged.
Craig Button says the Toronto Maple Leafs are unfairly blaming Auston Matthews
The Maple Leafs closed the break with three straight wins against the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks. Before that, they dropped three games in a row to the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.
That swing in results shows how the season has gone so far. Toronto sits at 27-21-9 with 63 points, placing them tied for sixth in the Atlantic. This is a highly competitive division this season, led by teams like Tampa Bay with 78 points.
In the past four years, Toronto crossed the 100-point mark each time, but this season’s results are not heading in the same direction. They will need to win the majority of the 25 games left.
Matthews continues to play a major role for the team. He has recorded 26 goals and 48 points in 51 games this season. He also averages over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Matthews is under contract through the 2027-28 season with a full no-movement clause, which limits any trade discussion.
Even so, some of the criticism during the season has been directed at him. Former NHL executive Craig Button spoke about this on the “Cam & Strick Podcast.” He said the focus on Matthews misses larger issues within the organization.
Button said, “I think about the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I think about everything they did. You know, they get Auston Matthews, they have Nylander, they have Mitch Marner. They have a really, really good team. And I think that they had the, what I call the, the spine and everything you need to be a good team.
“And I think they botched it, and I think by extension, they failed Auston Matthews. I think they have failed. It’s too easy to just blame the player, I think, to just say, ‘You don’t do this, or you don’t…’ He’s been, he’s been the best goal scorer in the NHL for the last six, seven years, so I don’t think anybody would debate that. And you know what they’re doing in Toronto now? They’re making Auston Matthews a scapegoat.”
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Button also spoke about past decisions, including the departure of Mitch Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in July 2025. He pointed out that several key players, like Nazem Kadri and Zach Hyman, have left over time. He said management needs to support its top players instead of placing blame on them when results are not positive.
With the trade deadline approaching, Toronto is expected to look at moves involving depth players. Matthews remains the central figure on the roster. But the team now faces the task of improving its defensive play without shifting too much pressure onto its captain.
