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

[Rob Brown]

According to Dredger's podcast, Matthews representation does not want any negotiation and their expectation is they will present one offer to MLSE as take it or leave it.

Start @ 19:34

Hasn’t it been demonstrated that Dreger really has no connections to this team anymore?

 

[Peasy]

Hasn’t it been demonstrated that Dreger really has no connections to this team anymore?

IIRC he was pretty on the nose for Marner's contract fiasco. He constantly reported 11m value and thats what he ended up getting.

 

[Rob Brown]

IIRC he was pretty on the nose for Marner's contract fiasco. He constantly reported 11m value and thats what he ended up getting.

Yeah since then I don’t think he’s called anything. Maybe I’m wrong.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Do you make him the highest paid player in the league!?
I don't think the Leafs can afford to lose him - remeber what it was like with Bozak as our #1 C?

 

[SprDaVE]

Yeah since then I don’t think he’s called anything. Maybe I’m wrong.

We always go through this stuff with him. Dreger has connections and has broken plenty of stuff over the years. Just because we don't like what's being said or reported it doesn't meant it's wrong.

 

[ShaneFalco]

IIRC he was pretty on the nose for Marner's contract fiasco. He constantly reported 11m value and thats what he ended up getting.

What a shill he was though. Like he was working for the Marner's

 

[Rob Brown]

We always go through this stuff with him. Dreger has connections and has broken plenty of stuff over the years. Just because we don't like what's being said or reported it doesn't meant it's wrong.

Yes, I think he called a lot more when he had connections to Nonis. Like I said, the last few years I think he’s fallen off

 

[SprDaVE]

Do you make him the highest paid player in the league!?
I don't think the Leafs can afford to lose him - remeber what it was like with Bozak as our #1 C?

You want accountability -- it goes to the players as well, not just Keefe and Dubas. Matthews is a fantastic player with a lot of warts recently and the player seems to think he's the best in the league. He should be a Maple Leaf for life but it ain't that easy sometimes.

 

[SprDaVE]

Yes, I think he called a lot more when he had connections to Nonis. Like I said, the last few years I think he’s fallen off

Last few years it's been about the same as the Nonis years. Maybe he had more information back then but he clearly still does.

 

[Gallagbi]

16 points in 12 games and you dismiss a player because you think he was not a factor on our series, he was absolutely a factor in game 1,2 and 5. Five points in the five games vs Tor is kinda OK no?

He was pretty invisible Game 5. Had a nice assist in Game 2 on the GWG, fairly invisible outside that. Game 1 he was great

I thought the Reinhart line was their best. Verhaege had a good series and was their most impactful fwd.

 

[Peasy]

What a shill he was though. Like he was working for the Marner's

Yeah, I think agents have caught on that they can just feed him information so he can go around parroting it which is good for their clients (if you say something so much maybe it'll become true). As soon as Tyson Barrie got here he was talking about how his next contract might look like 8x8. This was before he even played a game as a Leaf. These agents know what theyre doing.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Espn reporter Emily Kaplan was on tsn , very interesting what she had to say about Matthew's.
She did an interview with Mathews years ago .
She thinks that he want to be a trend setter money wise .
She never mentioned that a Stanley Cup being his main goal.
He adbviously want a cup but I think money is his true goal

Where is the interview?

Hasn’t it been demonstrated that Dreger really has no connections to this team anymore?

Yes, on many occasions.

 

[Americanadian]

Hasn’t it been demonstrated that Dreger really has no connections to this team anymore?

He’s been a consistent mouth piece for agents and this info is most likely coming from Matthews’ side.

 

[Kaladin]

Zero chance Matthews signs for anything less than 13.5M, I bet he’s looking for 14+ and he’ll probably get it. Either here or elsewhere because our genius GM set up his contract in a way that gives Matthews all the leverage.

 

[DarkKnight]

The Arizona vote is today.

Who cares he isn’t going there.

 

[Trapper]

Who cares he isn’t going there.

Even Arizona might be leaving.

 

[DarkKnight]

Even Arizona might be leaving.

Even if they get the building, Matthews will be fully bald by the time it opens. He’s the biggest loser in sport if he actually wants to go “home”, what a tire fire outpost organization.

 

[horner]

Where is the interview?


Yes, on many occasions.

Check out tsn today

 

[BertCorbeau]

I don’t trust the reports much since it’s all we know:

- if Matthews wants medium term at max cap hit value, that’s pretty insulting based on their playoff success and how that hinders future cap flexibility

- if his agent is present is a take it or leave it offer without any room for negotiation that is also pretty insulting

I don’t know how much actually information Dubas would have prior to July 1st but these scenarios would make me want to shop him at the drag and beyond.

 

[thusk]

In any scenario, leafs will be a better team without Matthews except maybe if he can get mcdavid, Draisaitl, mackinon ....

You can trade him come back for a kind of jvr-bozak-kessel line at the same salary cap than matthews-jarnkrok and an other low salary player...they will be worst for sure...

Since he in Toronto. He had 16 goal in play at 5v5 in playoff... the closier player is marner at 8

In regular season its 201, closier is marner at 106

As leafs fan, We can only hope than winning a cup become more important for matthews than money

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I am worried about his injuries, he seems to always be nursing something.

 

[Stephen]

I don’t trust the reports much since it’s all we know:

- if Matthews wants medium term at max cap hit value, that’s pretty insulting based on their playoff success and how that hinders future cap flexibility

- if his agent is present is a take it or leave it offer without any room for negotiation that is also pretty insulting

I don’t know how much actually information Dubas would have prior to July 1st but these scenarios would make me want to shop him at the drag and beyond.

I wonder who would leak that to Dreger. It doesn’t look friendly on the Matthews camp and who on the Leafs front office would know that’s the intention and leak it?

 

[TheDoldrums]

- if Matthews wants medium term at max cap hit value, that’s pretty insulting based on their playoff success and how that hinders future cap flexibility

how does forgoing a long-term extension for a medium-term one hinder future cap flexibility? It only opens up more potential flexibility.

Do you guys think the Leafs wanted to sign Tavares for 7 years into his mid-30's? Of course not. A 5 year deal expiring this summer would have been much better. But the competitive nature of free agency pushes teams to make longer commitments than is optimal. Max term is great for a second contract, but once you reach UFA years it's going to involve paying big dollars for seasons in decline.

If Matthews signs medium-term he's giving all his prime years to the Leafs. And the team has an out so they're not saddled with a possible anchor like if he were to sign for 8 years. The guy has had trouble staying healthy in his early 20's, if he's not insisting on max term that's simply a gift.

 

[BertCorbeau]

how does forgoing a long-term extension for a medium-term one hinder future cap flexibility? It only opens up more potential flexibility.

Do you guys think the Leafs wanted to sign Tavares for 7 years into his mid-30's? Of course not. A 5 year deal expiring this summer would have been much better. But the competitive nature of free agency pushes teams to make longer commitments than is optimal.

If Matthews signs medium-term he's giving all his prime years to the Leafs. And the team has an out so they're not saddled with a possible anchor like if he were to sign for 8 years. The guy has had trouble staying healthy in his early 20's, if he's not insisting on max term that's simply a gift.

4-5 years at a max cap hit is still a long time, and in competitive window he’s looking to get $2-3 million more in AAV which is pretty valuable

 

[Petrus]

how does forgoing a long-term extension for a medium-term one hinder future cap flexibility? It only opens up more potential flexibility.

Do you guys think the Leafs wanted to sign Tavares for 7 years into his mid-30's? Of course not. A 5 year deal expiring this summer would have been much better. But the competitive nature of free agency pushes teams to make longer commitments than is optimal.

If Matthews signs medium-term he's giving all his prime years to the Leafs. And the team has an out so they're not saddled with a possible anchor like if he were to sign for 8 years. The guy has had trouble staying healthy in his early 20's, if he's not insisting on max term that's simply a gift.

I share your thoughts on this.

A mid-term 5 year contract is ideal from the Leafs perspective even if that number is a high as as 13.5m per year (which make him the highest paid player in the league).

That is manageable number now that COVID is well behind us and the cap is set to grow.