Zona will just wait and sign him for free. This makes no sense.

AZ has no need to sign him now and give up those assets.

Much like a previous poster above noted. If ARI knows Matthews wants to come home, they just wait and sign him without giving up prospects and picks (which they need as a rebuilding team).

Why would Matthews go to Arizona if Keller is gone? Being from there is not going to be enough, probably not even if they give him 20% of the cap on a max term contract. If Arz still has Chychrun at that point then they might as well keep him, and he too would probably be interested in staying.

They would give assets to acquire Matthews (in his final year), so that they can lock him and not risk him going to another team or changing his mind and resigning. They definitely wouldn't be giving up Keller and probably not Chychrun (assuming he's not traded already) either unless he still wants out, and anyone else that they would need to have a competitive team to convince Matthews to approve the trade to them and then sign an extension.

This trade is this year not next so that throws your argument out the window

Lmao, so what you are suggesting is that TOR moves Matthews and heads into next season/playoffs without their best player?

Again, youre missing the point, if ARI knows Matthews wants to come home, they don’t make a trade for him to “lock him up”

You can be sure the Matthews has no desire to sign in Arizona. Now, I don't see him being a Leafs either but why do so many really think Matthews would want to sign to Arizona?

The ACGM and your comment were about now, so my reply wasn't relevant to what you were saying in particular. I missed the word "now" in your comment.

No, they're rebuilding. They're not trading for the best goal-scorer in the league. He can sign with them but they aren't giving up assets for him - they are rebuilding.

I'm not suggesting that TOR moves Matthews at all, even if he doesn't sign an extension this off-season. They will probably keep him even if they end up losing him in free agency.

My point is that if ARI knows Matthews wants to come home, they will give up assets to acquire him, just not what the OP suggested. If they wait for him to hit free agency, other teams could make pitches to him. Perhaps he then changes his mind about going to ARZ, he is human after all.

And my point is that point your point doesn’t make sense.
If ARI knows he wants to come home, they don’t give up assets to trade for him.

Do you understand the definition of the word “know”. If ARI gives up assets to trade for Matthews in fear he changes his mind, then ARI doesn’t KNOW he wants to come home.

I know they are rebuilding (probably will be a 5-year rebuild), I'm not saying they would do this trade now. I'm just saying there could be a case where they do give up the appropriate assets for him (not what the OP suggested), whether that be next off-season or the one after in a sign and trade.

Signing Matthews as a ufa in two years would signal the end of the rebuild, and they would move towards contention. If Matthews becomes available before then via trade they would entertain the idea of acquiring him depending on cost, and who they have on their roster/in the system. They could be walking out of the 2023 draft with a franchise player + multiple 1st round caliber players.

He literally said two weeks ago that TO has become home for him. And they actually have money and an arena.

Triggered Leaf fan

Ah that's your aim. Just looking to chuckle when leaf fans engage you eh? Get better goals

Goals haha I get it cause Matthews has 1 goal in 7 games

It's just a fantasy trade guy's (or girls)

He would have to have decided to go home in the first place, for him to change his mind. If Arizona knows of this decision, then it's called "knowing he wants to go home" (even if he does end up changing his mind and decides to go elsewhere) because they don't know the future.

Here's a scenario for you:

the Maple Leafs win the President's Trophy only to get swept in the 1st round by some wild card team. The Coyotes draft Bedard and other top talent in the 2023 draft. Matthews is approached with an extension offer but he says he wants to get traded to Arizona. So, the GM talks to Armstrong, and then he says "No, thank you. We will just sign him in free agency." So, the Leafs end up keeping him for a the year. Matthews then gets a more attractive pitch than the one from Arizona, so he signs elsewhere.

Summary:
In the scenario, Matthews decides that he wants to go to ARZ. ARZ knows in the 2023-24 off-season that Matthews wants to come home, but opt not to trade for him. A year later, in the 2024-25 free agency, Matthews signs elsewhere for whatever reason.

Conclusion:

If acquiring Matthews at all makes sense for them, they could trade for him if the cost is reasonable and it ensures that he's a Coyote for a long time (meaning he signs an extension before or after the trade), even if there's a 99.9999% that he would sign as a FA anyways.

To be fair, nobody can be sure of anything when it comes time for Matthews to seek a new contract. Arizona is his home, has much lower taxes, and may be in a new stadium and even a new owner by then. Way to many unknowns to be sure of anything. He has just as much of a chance signing again with the Leafs as he does going to another team be it AZ or elsewhere.

John Taveras said the same thing about long island. it means nothing until they sign it on the dotted line

Cool story