News Article: Auston Matthews - August 1st., Contract Crickets

[Sypher04]

Again, this works for losers, it is easy to follow the leader, easy to explain to your boss and the press, but winners, real execs develope their own plan, pay their own wage scale and select players who have the personality to fit. Mercenaries sometimes change late in their career when the bank account is full, but AM and MM are a long way from that.
It is not about what is deserved, it is about what a business plan can afford.
Maybe it is bonus based, maybe just a little team friendly or maybe the teams formula says the top 4 cannot be over 32% of salary cap!
Every business needs a detailed plan, not fly by the seat of your pants like Dubas did.

Literally none of what you wrote here has anything to do with what I said.

Yes teams need to be thoughtful, disciplined and structured about how they manage their players and cap. That doesn’t change one iota that players are paid for their individual accomplishments and contributions.

This is true for literally every player, on every team, in every sport.

 

[Sypher04]

If there is truth to a 3-4 deal being the max he wants, how else can you view it? Now that was something pushed by multiple sources back in May so maybe it was just an opening salvo or even a popular rumor that wasn't really out of the Matthews camps. My comment assumes that the club makes a few different strong offers and he still wont sign before the deadline. Not leaving money on the table doesn't make him a flight risk. That depends on what their final position is and how big the club has already gone. If the team offers to make him the highest paid player in the league with a decent term and he says no, what happens after they give up all their leverage? We will know the truth in a week.

If you’re prefacing the post with ‘if there is truth to’ then as I said we have no reason to believe the worst at this point in time.

The people peddling these ’reports’ seem more like they are generally speculating. Maybe it happens, and he only signs for 3-4 years, but I’m not leaping to conclusions right now

 

[BallardEra]

Friedman is expecting a 4-5 year deal starting with a 13 in front of it per season.

 

[Gabriel426]

Friedman is expecting a 4-5 year deal starting with a 13 in front of it per season.

That’s a horrible deal and it shows what type of player AM is

 

[JKG33]

That’s a horrible deal and it shows what type of player AM is

Yup. These two clowns (AM and MM) talk about how much they love it here... yea no shit when they constantly get contracts they don't deserve.

Matthews wants Mackinnon money despite being a vastly inferior player. This team didn't win shit when they overpaid him last time, and they won't when they overpay him again.

This team is such a joke, and I get why they're the butt of every joke around the NHL.

 

[Marshy]

So what is the issue with not having to pay AM 12.7M+ when he's 32-34? 5 years takes him to the end of his prime. The question I have is why does he want to be UFA at 32? Do him and Moldaver think they can do better than $13M X 3 in 29-30?

 

[sxvnert]

So the plan is to sign Nylander long term (at probably 9-10m) just to have the opportunity to overpay for Matthews long term.

 

[BallardEra]

So the plan is to sign Nylander long term (at probably 9-10m) just to have the opportunity to overpay for Matthews long term.

Nylander gets traded if he wants 9-10 million per.

 

[Taylor Halls Teeth]

Friedman is expecting a 4-5 year deal starting with a 13 in front of it per season.

I am fine with 13 x 5. Too good to be true in fact.

 

[93LEAFS]

I'm fine with 13x4/5, to be honest, aslong as we don't pay crazy in 4/5 we literally bought Matthews prime years with an out. It's not like we are buying RFA years which made the last deal bad.

 

[Gabriel426]

Why is AM signing a 5 years deal a good deal bc we need to beware his last 3 yrs but Willie getting a 8yrs deal is a great deal and don't need to worry about his last three years?

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I'm fine with 13x4/5, to be honest, aslong as we don't pay crazy in 4/5 we literally bought Matthews prime years with an out. It's not like we are buying RFA years which made the last deal bad.

The "out" is nothing more than a way to soothe ourselves after he signs a ridiculous short-term contract. There is no out cause the Leafs aren't walking away from Matthews at the end of another 4-5 year deal.

Just like the Leafs won't be walking away this time around after his recent 5-year deal concludes.

13 x 4 means he's a UFA at 30 and can re-sign at 29. This guy is going to bend them over again at that age for a long-term deal at an even higher cap hit. If that's his deal then it's time to accept he's a greedy athlete with money on his mind first.

 

[93LEAFS]

The "out" is nothing more than a way to soothe ourselves after he signs a ridiculous short-term contract. There is no out cause the Leafs aren't walking away from Matthews at the end of another 4-5 year deal.

Just like the Leafs won't be walking away this time around after his recent 5-year deal concludes.

13 x 4 means he's a UFA at 30 and can re-sign at 29. This guy is going to bend them over again at that age for a long-term deal at an even higher cap hit. If that's his deal then it's time to accept he's a greedy athlete with money on his mind first.

I'm willing to overpay top talent to stay over aggressively pursuing Jason Blake. I'd rather not go through another 5 years of Bozak pretending to be #1 center.

 

[Gabriel426]

I'm willing to overpay top talent to stay over aggressively pursuing Jason Blake. I'd rather not go through another 5 years of Bozak pretending to be #1 center.

If thats the case won't getting AM for 8 yrs is a better deal than 5yrs?

 

[93LEAFS]

If thats the case won't getting AM for 8 yrs is a better deal than 5yrs?

You make the easiest possible deal. 5 years legit makes more sense, it gives an easy out. As predicting anything further than 3 years is pointless.

 

[Marshy]

A 5 year deal to me looks like this in reality.


Year 1 of extention: 24-25 - $15 M. Age 27 season.

Year 2: 25-26 - $14M Age 28 season.

Year 3: 26-27 - $13M Age 29 season.

Year 4: 27-28 - $12M Age 30 season.

Year 5: 28-29 - $11M Age 31 season.


Sign me up. It says here in 29-30 Age 32 season AM is "merely" a $10M AAV player on a 3-4 year term.

It's ludicrous the agent and player don't want to tack on 3 more years at $12.5 -13M. LUDICROUS!

But hey...5 years 13M is a GREAT deal for the LEAFS. That's why I doubt it happens.

 

[Gabriel426]

You make the easiest possible deal. 5 years legit makes more sense, it gives an easy out. As predicting anything further than 3 years is pointless.

Easy out is such an illusion though.
If Leafs win the Cup in that period, AM will be a legend, unless he is injured or McD coming home, as I don't think AM won't play an important role if Leafs win the Cup. Thus by the end of that deal, you renew him again except this time pay him even more.
If Leafs can't win the Cup in that period. I doubt they will go, lets retool/rebuild with most likely Willie and MM still got years left in their contract. Thus, you need AM to stay and sign him to a more expensive contract.
The only out for this 5 yrs deal is either AM can't play at this usual level due to injuries in the last two years of this deal or Leafs just sucks big time during the last two years of his deal.

Even if AM had a season he had this year as his final season in that 5 yrs deal unless he is just injured, there is no way Leafs should let him walk for free but teams would still sign him to whatever he signed now. So at the end of the day, how does it benefits Leafs if AM signs for 5 yrs?

A 5 year deal to me looks like this in reality.


Year 1 of extention: 24 - 25 - $15 M. Age 27 season.

Year 2: 25-26 - $14M Age 28 season.

Year 3: 26-27 - $13M Age 29 season.

Year 4: 27-28 - $12M Age 30 season.

Year 5: 28-29 - $11M Age 31 season.


Sign me up. It says here in 29-30 Age 32 season AM is "merely" a $10M AAV player on a 3-4 year term.

It's ludicrous the agent and player don't want to tack on 3 more yeats at $12.5 -13M. LUDICROUS!

But hey...5 years 13M is a GREAT deal for the LEAFS. That's why I doubt it happens.

13mil is not a great deal for the Leafs bc AM is not worth 13mil, as he is not better than Mack who signed his 12.6mil deal less than 12 months ago.

 

[93LEAFS]

Easy out is such an illusion though.
If Leafs win the Cup in that period, AM will be a legend, unless he is injured or McD coming home, as I don't think AM won't play an important role if Leafs win the Cup. Thus by the end of that deal, you renew him again except this time pay him even more.
If Leafs can't win the Cup in that period. I doubt they will go, lets retool/rebuild with most likely Willie and MM still got years left in their contract. Thus, you need AM to stay and sign him to a more expensive contract.
The only out for this 5 yrs deal is either AM can't play at this usual level due to injuries in the last two years of this deal or Leafs just sucks big time during the last two years of his deal.

Even if AM had a season he had this year as his final season in that 5 yrs deal unless he is just injured, there is no way Leafs should let him walk for free but teams would still sign him to whatever he signed now. So at the end of the day, how does it benefits Leafs if AM signs for 5 yrs?


13mil is not a great deal for the Leafs bc AM is not worth 13mil, as he is not better than Mack who signed his 12.6mil deal less than 12 months ago.

One, you are paying based off probability. And, two, I just mentioned paying Matthews, not Nylander and Marner. No one is signing based on whether we win a cup or not. Wish they were, because there is money to be made if we win a cup.

 

[93LEAFS]

13mil is not a great deal for the Leafs bc AM is not worth 13mil, as he is not better than Mack who signed his 12.6mil deal less than 12 months ago

The real question is are you willing to let him walk over 1m or less? He's either overpaid or he's walking. There is no ideal answer.

 

[Marshy]

Easy out is such an illusion though.
If Leafs win the Cup in that period, AM will be a legend, unless he is injured or McD coming home, as I don't think AM won't play an important role if Leafs win the Cup. Thus by the end of that deal, you renew him again except this time pay him even more.
If Leafs can't win the Cup in that period. I doubt they will go, lets retool/rebuild with most likely Willie and MM still got years left in their contract. Thus, you need AM to stay and sign him to a more expensive contract.
The only out for this 5 yrs deal is either AM can't play at this usual level due to injuries in the last two years of this deal or Leafs just sucks big time during the last two years of his deal.

Even if AM had a season he had this year as his final season in that 5 yrs deal unless he is just injured, there is no way Leafs should let him walk for free but teams would still sign him to whatever he signed now. So at the end of the day, how does it benefits Leafs if AM signs for 5 yrs?


13mil is not a great deal for the Leafs bc AM is not worth 13mil, as he is not better than Mack who signed his 12.6mil deal less than 12 months ago.

I hate to break it to you but $13M is actually a lower percentage of todays (and especially tomorrow's) cap than what AM's last deal was when he signed for $11.634 X 5 coming off his ELC. He is a top 2 center in the league with MVP and multiple Rocket Richard winner. Players are worth what the market will pay and on the open market he's a $15M player easily.

 

[capfit9]

The real question is are you willing to let him walk over 1m or less? He's either overpaid or he's walking.

actually the real question is would Matthews be willing to walk away over a $1m or less when all these guys talk about is they believe in each other after every season.

 

[93LEAFS]

actually the real question is would Matthews be willing to walk away over a $1m or less when all these guys talk about is they believe in each other after every season.

None of them would. So why is that expected?

We either need to pay or not? I'm thinking we should pay Matthews.

 

[Kiwi]

I'm willing to overpay top talent to stay over aggressively pursuing Jason Blake. I'd rather not go through another 5 years of Bozak pretending to be #1 center.

When we overpay our top talent were at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competition

That means less money spent around these players that have proven they aren't even close to winning anything on there own

We aren't smarter than everybody else and nothing says we can win anything with this type of pay structure

This team looks about as capable of winning a cup as the teams Bozak was our #1C on

 

[mikeyz]

I hate to break it to you but $13M is actually a lower percentage of todays (and especially tomorrow's) cap than what AM's last deal was when he signed for $11.634 X 5 coming off his ELC. He is a top 2 center in the league with MVP and multiple Rocket Richard winner. Players are worth what the market will pay and on the open market he's a $15M player easily.

In the regular season? Yes.

In the playoffs? Not even close.

 

[Gabriel426]

The real question is are you willing to let him walk over 1m or less? He's either overpaid or he's walking. There is no ideal answer.

How about trading him? Isn’t that an option too

I hate to break it to you but $13M is actually a lower percentage of todays (and especially tomorrow's) cap than what AM's last deal was when he signed for $11.634 X 5 coming off his ELC. He is a top 2 center in the league with MVP and multiple Rocket Richard winner. Players are worth what the market will pay and on the open market he's a $15M player easily.

Mack signed for what again?

Top 2 Center in the league? That’s is Mack who is better and Drai who is also better.
Not saying AM is not great but he is not even a 100% top 5 in the league.
He is not good enough to be the highest paid player in the league.