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

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Stop worrying about what other teams are doing. They fall under different circumstances that don't apply to the Leafs.

1. What other market gives this much of a headache to its star players? You think superstars in Colorado, Florida, Boston or NY are receiving the same headaches that Matthews and co are?

Y'all NHL23 warriors think it's as simple as restarting the game when you mess up...You're dealing with a top 3-5 player...Sundin is closer to Tavares than he is to Matthews....You think Curry/Lebron/Jokic/Doncic/Giannis are getting lowballed by their teams? You think their teams complain that they demand max contracts? LMFAO

2. If you're going to get paid regardless of where you go, you have leverage...Toronto doesn't have the post-season success of Boston or Colorado to retain their stars. Pasta didn't sign a team friendly deal. Mackinnon stayed on a cup-winning team. Boston and Tampa's salary structure is predicated on a decade + of deep post-season runs...WTF has Toronto done to expect that same salary buy-in from their stars?

What exactly are the Leafs?

Well, what other market offers endorsements out the wazoo for their players like Toronto does? So they get extra media attention that actually lobs softball questions to them and we have to pay them more?

The reason Boston and TB have had long playoff runs IS because they have an internal cap that the players adhere to. We are playing the game with a lower cap when people make excuses for why we are overpaying our players as if this is Winnipeg or Calgary. We can't be paying 20% to our stars just because an agent complains. It has to stop.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

I would actually laugh if the minute Matthews NMC kicks in he breaks off negotiations and Treliving ends up in the exact same spot as last year.

 

[Sypher04]

The Wasserman Media Group that represents both Dubas and Matthews is probably VERY MAD that the Leafs cut Dubas out. So now they're taking it out on the Leafs with these contract demands that insane can't even begin to describe.

We have no idea what their demands are. Don’t fall for the media garbage like Siegel’s article

 

[Bust]

I’m completely ok with Matthews approach here by maximizing his earnings with short deals - as long as he maintains his elite level of play.

A 3 year deal might be of best interest to all parties, as if he’s not living up to his potential (rocket winning, 2nd/3rd best player in the NHL), we have the opportunity to cut bait.

We (as fans) should not look to be getting any sort of deal with Matthews, and that’s ok. But we can’t take this approach with any other player as they’re simply not worth it.

13.5 x 3 years I’d be happy with.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

They are all, essentially all talk at this point. They say winning is the most important thing but every single one of them(Matthews,Marner,Nylander) have clearly made a priority in getting contracts that reset the market over winning. Actions speak louder then words after yet another disappointing exit in the playoffs....that I am sure we will hear again when they bow out next year.

Here's the thing...they reset OUR internal market but not the NHL's market. Did you see Nate sign a 5yr deal to match AM? Did you see another RFA winger get almost $11M like MM? So when they keep saying they want to reset the market...whose market are they talking about?

 

[Canadian Finn]

I’m completely ok with Matthews approach here by maximizing his earnings with short deals - as long as he maintains his elite level of play.

A 3 year deal might be of best interest to all parties, as if he’s not living up to his potential (rocket winning, 2nd/3rd best player in the NHL), we have the opportunity to cut bait.

We (as fans) should not look to be getting any sort of deal with Matthews, and that’s ok. But we can’t take this approach with any other player as they’re simply not worth it.

13.5 x 3 years I’d be happy with.

he needs to start his elite level of play again before he can maintain it.

 

[Sypher04]

he needs to start his elite level of play again before he can maintain it.

He was injured basically all season and still had 40 goals and 85 points

 

[Canadian Finn]

yah, yah, we have all heard the excuses.

my point is still clear, and remains accurate.

 

[Bust]

he needs to start his elite level of play again before he can maintain it.

What’s the alternative here? Let him walk next year and be “not elite” scoring 40-50 goals on another team?

If it cost an extra mil or 2 you give it to him.

 

[Canadian Finn]

he's not a winner. he's a douche.

yes, you let him walk.

 

[Zur En Arrh]

Last time around, Matthews was willing to take a three year bridge deal for around $9M.

But the Leafs somehow managed to trick him into taking a deal that paid $2M more a year and walked him into free agency with NMC the final year.

Boy is he ever stupid.

Matthews is a 1C. And a very good one at that. We waited a long time for one of those.

It would be a real shame to lose him now.

As far as I'm concerned, everyone in the entire organization from Shanahan on down, with the exception of Matthews, can pound pavement. And if they lose Matthews to free agency, everyone from Shanahan on down SHOULD be looking for a new job. Who cares how much Matthews wants.

Just f***ing give it to him.

The fans already see him as nothing but a spoiled American rich kid anyway. Paying him even more just feeds into that perception. What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude. Rich kids can never admit they are rich.

So they don't feel grateful for what they already have in abundance.

That's Matthews.

he's not num 1 center. He's a generational franchise center who's six foot four on skates. He's beyond a num 1 center.

 

[Bust]

he's not a winner. he's a douche.

yes, you let him walk.

Then you’d be letting the best leaf ever walk for nothing. Yes, that’s an excellent plan vs paying him an extra 1-2 mil to keep him happy.

Nickel and dimeing your best players is not the way.

 

[Canadian Finn]

six foot four and thrown around like a rag doll.

best Leaf ever?

disgusting. absolutely disgusting.

 

[Bust]

six foot four and thrown around like a rag doll.

Ya. Let’s have the 65 goal guy throwing punches. That makes sense.

Be mad at dubas for constructing a roster of cowards - don’t expect Matthews to be throwing punches.

 

[Canadian Finn]

you can play tough and not have to throw punches.

although clearly some in our fanbase don't understand that.

our junior fanbase would rather have our players skate around with eggs in their pants than play tough.

 

[baton elevated]

Boston would have him shipped out so fast it would make your head spin.......and rightly so.

 

[Canadian Finn]

can you imagine Ovy acting like a bitch like Matthews?

Men vs boys I guess.

 

[Bust]

you can play tough and not have to throw punches.

although clearly some in our fanbase don't understand that.

our junior fanbase would rather have our players skate around with eggs in their pants than play tough.

It’s guys like you that don’t get it.

You never except the players for who they actually are, you expect everyone to be Wendel Clark. Same reason a guy like Kessel gets shamed for “not being a winner” (ring a bell?), then goes on to win back to back cups as a key contributor.

You are a clueless, troll.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Here's the thing...they reset OUR internal market but not the NHL's market. Did you see Nate sign a 5yr deal to match AM? Did you see another RFA winger get almost $11M like MM? So when they keep saying they want to reset the market...whose market are they talking about?

They are resetting the market for their next cottage purchase.

 

[Mad hatter]

you can play tough and not have to throw punches.

although clearly some in our fanbase don't understand that.

our junior fanbase would rather have our players skate around with eggs in their pants than play tough.

He doesn’t shy away from contact, corners or the front of the net. He’s not a crasher/ banger sure but not a rag doll either imho. He also blocks a ton of shots which isn’t fun to do. That said I wouldn’t want to trade him but he doesn’t deserve to be the highest paid player in the league, that’s for sure. $13 wouldn’t be horrible but I wouldn’t want to go to much above that

 

[MCR74]

Stop worrying about what other teams are doing. They fall under different circumstances that don't apply to the Leafs.

1. What other market gives this much of a headache to its star players? You think superstars in Colorado, Florida, Boston or NY are receiving the same headaches that Matthews and co are?

Y'all NHL23 warriors think it's as simple as restarting the game when you mess up...You're dealing with a top 3-5 player...Sundin is closer to Tavares than he is to Matthews....You think Curry/Lebron/Jokic/Doncic/Giannis are getting lowballed by their teams? You think their teams complain that they demand max contracts? LMFAO

2. If you're going to get paid regardless of where you go, you have leverage...Toronto doesn't have the post-season success of Boston or Colorado to retain their stars. Pasta didn't sign a team friendly deal. Mackinnon stayed on a cup-winning team. Boston and Tampa's salary structure is predicated on a decade + of deep post-season runs...WTF has Toronto done to expect that same salary buy-in from their stars?

What exactly are the Leafs?

To be fair, our star players routinely give it back by not showing up in the playoffs. Difference is they're paid millions.

 

[Bust]

He doesn’t shy away from contact, corners or the front of the net. He’s not a crasher/ banger sure but not a rag doll either imho. He also blocks a ton of shots which isn’t fun to do. That said I wouldn’t want to trade him but he doesn’t deserve to be the highest paid player in the league, that’s for sure. $13 wouldn’t be horrible but I wouldn’t want to go to much above that

We shouldn’t get hung up on this “highest paid player” nonsense. If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.

Canadian Finn is mad that the league MVP didn’t drop the mitts with heavyweight Chiarot. That should tell you everything you need to know about that poster.

 

[Sypher04]

He doesn’t shy away from contact, corners or the front of the net. He’s not a crasher/ banger sure but not a rag doll either imho. He also blocks a ton of shots which isn’t fun to do. That said I wouldn’t want to trade him but he doesn’t deserve to be the highest paid player in the league, that’s for sure. $13 wouldn’t be horrible but I wouldn’t want to go to much above that

Understanding that even at 13M his cap percentage (15.57) would be well under McDavid (16.67) why wouldn’t he? Being highest paid in AAV doesn’t suddenly mean people think he’s better than McDavid

Signing for 12,750,000 would make him the highest paid and would be identically equivalent to MacKinnon’s contract percentage, which is easily arguable.

 

[KaN19]

I love how Friedman says Matthews cap-hit might seem high at first but will look better as the cap rises. Why are we the only team that players fleece every penny from based on what the cap will look like 3 years from now? Our players don't give us full-term either. MacKinnon must have been a real sucker then to sign with the Avs for $12.6m x 8?

 

[PromisedLand]

But based on this latest report from The Athletic, it sounds as though the next deal for Matthews would make him the highest paid player in the history of the National Hockey League. According to author Jonas Siegal, Matthews could be looking for a deal that would be worth over $14 million a season.

Take a look at an excerpt from the piece:

"The salary cap might be the most important thing to remember about where this is going. The belief is that Matthews and his agent, Judd Moldaver, want his third NHL contract to account for a cap that should hit $87.5 million in the fall of 2024, when the new deal kicks in, and is expected to only go up from there, as much as five percent annually.

Which means a cap hit figure that will shrink over the life of the contract.

That is why it’s likely they will be looking at a contract ranging between two and five years long. The sweet spot, for both Matthews and the Leafs, may be a five-year deal with a record-setting cap hit, higher than MacKinnon’s $12.6 million annual average value.

A five-year deal would buy up the entirety of Matthews’ prime, his age-27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 seasons. It could also shatter the previous precedent for these types of contracts. The Leafs could be looking at a number as high as $14.5 million on the cap on a five-year deal."

Wowzers, that would be a massive extension

LMAO matthews isn't worth 14M over the 8 year deal forget about 5 year deal.

may be put a clause in his contract for the years he doesn't score at least 50 goals and in the playoffs he doesn't average at least 4 goals per 7 games he will forefiet half of the annual earnings back to MLSE

and if he has any wrist issues moving forward he will willingly cancel the contract status

also no signing bonuses,