Auston Matthews' clock is ticking faster than you'd think with the . Only a bit more than a year from now, there's a key checkpoint in Matthews' future in Canada. "The Leafs captain can sign an extension in the summer of 2027, and Toronto will want to know what Matthews is thinking sooner rather than later," on Sunday. "If the Leafs again look like a team nowhere close to the playoffs, Matthews could decide he doesnt want to stay long-term. Bob Lanier Jersey " Matthews is actually under contract through the end of the 2027-28 season, so even if they didn't get the extension done next summer, there's still time to negotiate, but not much. If something doesn't get moving in the right direction, it could change plans quickly. spoke on his Saturday Headlines appearance to share what might be next. "At the end of the season, they're gonna sit down and have a conversation," Friedman said. "It might not be right at the end of the year. They might wait a little bit to see how everything unfolds and what they decide to do and where they stand and where everything is going." MORE: For now, though, this may all be speculation more than anything else. "Right now at this point in time, I don't think he's given them any indication that he wants to go anywhere," Friedman said. Matthews is a gold medalist now, but he's been very committed in his captaincy of the Maple Leafs. He'd surely like to figure this out in a positive way for everyone. More NHL news: Dennis Rodman Jersey