The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a major decision regarding one of their most important players, Auston Matthews. Recent reports suggest that the 24-year-old center may not sign an extension with the team until July 1. If this decision is confirmed, it could have serious implications for the future of the Maple Leafs. Elliotte Friedman of <i>Sportsnet</i> reports: <q>According to my sources, it doesn't look likely that Auston Matthews will sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs until July 1. So they will have some very big decisions to make.</q> This news has made waves among <i>Leafs fans</i>, as it could affect Toronto's ability to control future trades involving Matthews. <q>The Maple Leafs absolutely must avoid Matthews' no-movement clause. He will have full control and the Leafs will precisely, conversely, lose control of their decisions. On July 1, the final season of Matthews' current contract will begin, accompanied by a no-trade clause that could be disastrous for the team. Under no circumstances should the Leafs put themselves in this situation.</q> This means that if Toronto chooses not to trade Matthews now, they risk losing him for nothing when his current contract expires in a season, which would obviously be catastrophic. <q>On July 1, Matthews gets all the negotiating power. If he hasn't finalized a contract with the team to stay, he immediately finds himself in a position to dictate where he wants to go. On July 1, Toronto - and whoever the general manager is at that time - will have to discuss with Matthews his willingness to go elsewhere. No move can take place after that date without his approval, which puts the Leafs in a tough spot. What Toronto does with its roster will depend largely on the direction Matthews takes in the next few days.</q> One thing is for sure: if Matthews doesn't agree to a new contract before this summer's deadline (July 1), it could cause major upheaval within the organization and create huge problems for Toronto when it comes time to make deals involving their star player. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHL_Watcher/status/1660329100479717387'> </a></blockquote></div>