Matthews stayed in Arizona through his 2012-13 season with the 16-and-under Arizona Bobcats before he jumped to the United States National Team Development Program. He eventually got selected first overall by Toronto in the 2016 NHL Draft and burst into the first full-fledged star from the state.

With the NHL trade deadline approaching, Auston Matthews made his expectations clear. He wants the Toronto Maple Leafs to add pieces for a playoff push. Following his coach Craig Berube's stated desire "to better our team" ahead of the deadline,

"This time of year, you see teams adding and you want to add as well," Matthews said before an ugly 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.