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

[egd27]

This is exactly why I'm not worried about him resigning. Yes it will be for 14 million or more but that's far better than the alternative

Is it?

He put up 40 goals last season and the team still finished with 111 pts and 4th overall. You don't think $14M properly spent can replace those 40 goals and add some other elements the team needs?

 

[Boxscore]

People say Gilmour and Clark didn't win the Cup either. No, they didn't. They fell short. But they played like champions. These guys have never played like champions ever, to think you're going to win a Cup with this core, you have to be smoking something at his point.

Prime Gilmour and Clark would put Matthews and Marner through the shredder today. These are exactly the type of leaders and gamers the Leafs need. Look at the impact Tkachuk has made in Florida. Gilmour and Clark would be like the Leafs adding both Matthew and Brady.

 

[egd27]

there's "Wunderkind" again lol. A moniker he picked up not because of superior pedigree, but because there was no other explanation for why he got the job. Plus he wears glasses and is young and that's really all it takes for some to call him "intellectual" and fantasize he will take on the evil "dinosaurs" and bring change (for some reason this is automatically good, no debate required) with the raw power of his modernness and forward thinking, to right the wrongs and...God it's all so stupid lol

Don't forget the sweaters. He has lots of good sweaters.

 

[Buds17]

I was fine with Dubas's experience level. I just think he wasn't very good at the job. His and Shanny's belief in the core is mind-boggling to me. They've been at it for 7 years and not in 1 of those years did I think they gave a satisfactory performance in the playoffs. 0 for 7. People say Gilmour and Clark didn't win the Cup either. No, they didn't. They fell short. But they played like champions. These guys have never played like champions ever, to think you're going to win a Cup with this core, you have to be smoking something at his point.

I wonder if Burns vs Keefe plays any part in it?

 

[Stephen]

I was fine with Dubas's experience level. I just think he wasn't very good at the job. His and Shanny's belief in the core is mind-boggling to me. They've been at it for 7 years and not in 1 of those years did I think they gave a satisfactory performance in the playoffs. 0 for 7. People say Gilmour and Clark didn't win the Cup either. No, they didn't. They fell short. But they played like champions. These guys have never played like champions ever, to think you're going to win a Cup with this core, you have to be smoking something at his point.

Dubas’ point of references regarding team building were so weak.

He talked about Toronto vs Tampa Bay for 2 years getting grit grindier at the bottom.

Then gets beat by Florida and starts taking about what Florida did with the Tkachuk trade in his last ever press conference. It’s like his only point of reference to making trades were the teams that beat Toronto.

I just follow hockey and hockey history for fun and I can outline a number of different pathways to go.

 

[Fogelhund]

Prime Gilmour and Clark would put Matthews and Marner through the shredder today. These are exactly the type of leaders and gamers the Leafs need. Look at the impact Tkachuk has made in Florida. Gilmour and Clark would be like the Leafs adding both Matthew and Brady.

Prime Gilmour and Clark would get ripped today on social media and forums like this. Zero cups with the Leafs.

 

[ACC1224]

Prime Gilmour and Clark would get ripped today on social media and forums like this. Zero cups with the Leafs.

Fans would have a field day with Clarks lazy back checks and Gilmours muffin shot.

 

[Burnie97]

Prime Gilmour and Clark would get ripped today on social media and forums like this. Zero cups with the Leafs.

No they wouldn't lol.

They actually showed guts and beat teams they shouldn't of beat. They got robbed of going to the cup too by f***ing Fraser.

They also didn't make the money these guys do.

Are you trying to tell me Clark didn't give it his all when he played?

Then you either didn't watch him... or you didn't watch Matthews and Marner against Florida.

 

[facelessjoe1990]

When the people say won't sign before July 1st does that also mean no negotiations at all? Does it mean no possible handshake agreement or verbal agreement?

 

[The Apologist]

Is it?

He put up 40 goals last season and the team still finished with 111 pts and 4th overall. You don't think $14M properly spent can replace those 40 goals and add some other elements the team needs?

Just how many players do you plan to play in Austin's place?

 

[keonsbitterness]

When the people say won't sign before July 1st does that also mean no negotiations at all? Does it mean no possible handshake agreement or verbal agreement?

Those are possible.

 

[Gabriel426]

Prime Gilmour and Clark would put Matthews and Marner through the shredder today. These are exactly the type of leaders and gamers the Leafs need. Look at the impact Tkachuk has made in Florida. Gilmour and Clark would be like the Leafs adding both Matthew and Brady.

If we have prime Dougie, Clark and Andrechyuk instead of AM, MM and JT, we would still be playing. I can’t imagine Bennet, Gudas and MT taking liberties on Knies and Kampf, if Clark is around. Clark would had laid them out in the first game to set the tone.

 

[Gabriel426]

Just how many players do you plan to play in Austin's place?

Unless the Leafs or any teams got two Milan Lucic, or two Loui-Erickson, there is no way any teams could not find two players who make a combine of 12.134mil(11.634/AM and 950k/12th forward) to score 40 goals while one of them will have AM PP time.

 

[Gabriel426]

Prime Gilmour and Clark would get ripped today on social media and forums like this. Zero cups with the Leafs.

From that comment, I guess you didn’t watch the Leafs in the 90s with Dougie and company plus Burns at the coach.
The two playoffs runs that Dougie’s Leafs did, they were never beaten by a team who were less talented or outworked. That Leafs team always outworked the other team. The teams that beat them were always more talented.

 

[Fogelhund]

No they wouldn't lol.

They actually showed guts and beat teams they shouldn't of beat. They got robbed of going to the cup too by f***ing Fraser.

They also didn't make the money these guys do.

Are you trying to tell me Clark didn't give it his all when he played?

Then you either didn't watch him... or you didn't watch Matthews and Marner against Florida.

Social media, and people today... far more negative, and scapegoat far more. It's borderline toxic these days.

They were great players, but made as much as today's players, in terms of percentage of roster salary... of course there's been a lot of roster inflation since then.

Gilmour writes about death threats he received from an apparently deranged woman — threats taken seriously enough for the team to call in the police. He writes about drunken fans making a wee-hours intrusion into his Beaches front lawn to heckle him with taunts of “You guys suck! What a bunch of losers!” (And Gilmour, in that instance, refrained from alerting the authorities in favour of pelting the mouthy jerks with eggs from his roof). On it goes.

By the time Gilmour leaves Toronto in a 1997 trade to New Jersey, he pronounces himself “sick of the press"

and this was before social media...

If that group didn't win, given the way people act online... yes, they would have been roasted too.

From that comment, I guess you didn’t watch the Leafs in the 90s with Dougie and company plus Burns at the coach.
The two playoffs runs that Dougie’s Leafs did, they were never beaten by a team who were less talented or outworked. That Leafs team always outworked the other team. The teams that beat them were always more talented.

I've been watching since the 70's.... Online fans are toxic these days... read the above.... they were toxic then too.. but now Social Media etc, gives even the LCD of society a voice. Of course they would have been ripped, and they were ripped at times in the media. Maybe you've forgotten? There is scholarly articles on the negativity bias created by these echo chambers.

 

[tuckerintensity]

Matthews, the 12% shooter in regular season and 10% in the playoffs, is NOT an $11 million plus man. Matthews, the 17% shooter in the regular season... and maybe the same in the playoffs is.

Of the players who currently have a higher cap hit than Matthews, how many have a 17% shooting percentage in either the regular or post-season?

 

[Fogelhund]

Of the players who currently have a higher cap hit than Matthews, how many have a 17% shooting percentage in either the regular or post-season?

There are three players with a higher cap hit than Matthews.

Only McDavid was higher than 17%.
Both McDavid and Panarin had higher shooting % than Matthews this year.

What exactly is your point?

 

[Gabriel426]

Social media, and people today... far more negative, and scapegoat far more. It's borderline toxic these days.

They were great players, but made as much as today's players, in terms of percentage of roster salary... of course there's been a lot of roster inflation since then.

Gilmour writes about death threats he received from an apparently deranged woman — threats taken seriously enough for the team to call in the police. He writes about drunken fans making a wee-hours intrusion into his Beaches front lawn to heckle him with taunts of “You guys suck! What a bunch of losers!” (And Gilmour, in that instance, refrained from alerting the authorities in favour of pelting the mouthy jerks with eggs from his roof). On it goes.

By the time Gilmour leaves Toronto in a 1997 trade to New Jersey, he pronounces himself “sick of the press"

and this was before social media...

If that group didn't win, given the way people act online... yes, they would have been roasted too.



I've been watching since the 70's.... Online fans are toxic these days... read the above.... they were toxic then too.. but now Social Media etc, gives even the LCD of society a voice. Of course they would have been ripped, and they were ripped at times in the media. Maybe you've forgotten?

There will always be toxic or over passionate fans.
They were ripped but not for lack of heart or passion but rather just not as talented or dropped off due to age. Don’t think anyone sent Dougie any threats during is 93 season, it was toward the end where he was not as good due to age.
The Leafs was not a great team back then, they were never hyped as a Contender like they are now. Dougie had a great 93 season but due to Wayne, Mario, Stevie Y, Sakic and even Lindros, he was not considered the top tier players in the league. His 93 season was amazing though and brought fans back.

The Dougie Leafs also didn’t make it past the first rounds in 7 tries.

I can remembered Dougie and others being ripped when they all lost a step or two due to age but not bc they choked in the playoffs. Maybe the Nucks series in 94 but MaClean and Bure were amazing and think the Leafs just ran out of gas after beating the Sharks.

If the boys actually put up a fight like they did in Game 4 and 5 against the Panthers and still lose at the end. Also the 10mil plus boys club actually produced with more than just ONE goal. It will most likely be, let’s bring them back and change the supporting pieces. However, that’s not even close to be the case.

 

[egd27]

Just how many players do you plan to play in Austin's place?

At least 2, maybe 3 if you get lucky

 

[ShaneFalco]

Social media, and people today... far more negative, and scapegoat far more. It's borderline toxic these days.

They were great players, but made as much as today's players, in terms of percentage of roster salary... of course there's been a lot of roster inflation since then.

Gilmour writes about death threats he received from an apparently deranged woman — threats taken seriously enough for the team to call in the police. He writes about drunken fans making a wee-hours intrusion into his Beaches front lawn to heckle him with taunts of “You guys suck! What a bunch of losers!” (And Gilmour, in that instance, refrained from alerting the authorities in favour of pelting the mouthy jerks with eggs from his roof). On it goes.

By the time Gilmour leaves Toronto in a 1997 trade to New Jersey, he pronounces himself “sick of the press"

and this was before social media...

If that group didn't win, given the way people act online... yes, they would have been roasted too.



I've been watching since the 70's.... Online fans are toxic these days... read the above.... they were toxic then too.. but now Social Media etc, gives even the LCD of society a voice. Of course they would have been ripped, and they were ripped at times in the media. Maybe you've forgotten? There is scholarly articles on the negativity bias created by these echo chambers.

There's also the oppostie end of the spectrum - loyalty to players/GM like I've never seen before. No matter the results. It's toxic in itself - you're not a fan to some if you complain. The Leafs of old - at least they went down fighting. This team has no "killer instinct", "demons", "too easy to play against",- from the players and management.

 

[tuckerintensity]

There are three players with a higher cap hit than Matthews.

Only McDavid was higher than 17%.
Both McDavid and Panarin had higher shooting % than Matthews this year.

What exactly is your point?

You will only pay 11 million plus for players who have a 17% shooting percentage and keep that in the playoffs, none of the players who make more than Matthews have that. In fact, none of them have these as career numbers. Ovechkin doesn't even have these numbers. I'd venture no one has the numbers.

 

[nuck]

At least 2, maybe 3 if you get lucky

AM isn't in the final 4 and neither is McDavid, nor were they last year. You don't need a generational player to win and in fact most years one doesn't. They will get along just fine without Matthews unless they let him walk for nothing and even then who knows. I like him but looking again at his last deal he seems so money driven and he really only earned that contract for his MVP year. I fear that he will be looking for a deal he can't possibly earn as he has only had the one 100pt season and has actually only paced for 100pts once in his 7 years. And what if that was his unrepeatable Kadri/Huberdeau/Gaudreau season? 31 year old Stamkos also had a career 106 points last year so what is one big year worth?

Even with the MVP season thats not close to a $14M player, sorry. He needs to bring the smoke every year like McDavid and he hasn't been able to. He might prove me absolutely wrong going forward but his track record is what it is and only a single season over 85 points should tell us something.

Not a diss on the player because I think he is a great goal scorer but they need to decide if its the club or a couple of agents that are controlling the Leafs cap situation. He isn't McDavid and should not be aiming there. We don't need hometown discounts, just contracts based on reality.

 

[Legion34]

Any new rumors of what Matthews is looking for? Last I heard he was looking to get anything from 14 AAV to 15 AAV

thats too rich for me given his playoff performance, his last regular season performance and his recurring wrist issue

It’s supposedly 4-5 years at more than mackinnon (12.6)
So that could be anything.

If he’s going short term I don’t think he asks for 15
Million. That would be make sense ish if he wants to cover an anticipated 100 million cap.

My guess was 13.4 x8….. last time he signed for 14% of the cap. If the cap is supposed to be 87.5 ish…. That would be 12.25. He won’t take that.

If it’s supposed to be like 92 it would be 12.88

Maybe he goes 12.634

 

[TheDoldrums]

There's a report basically everyday that he loves Toronto and still wants to be here, GM change isn't that big of a deal, etc. This would be all-time gaslighting if he bolts.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

AM isn't in the final 4 and neither is McDavid, nor were they last year. You don't need a generational player to win and in fact most years one doesn't. They will get along just fine without Matthews unless they let him walk for nothing and even then who knows. I like him but looking again at his last deal he seems so money driven and he really only earned that contract for his MVP year. I fear that he will be looking for a deal he can't possibly earn as he has only had the one 100pt season and has actually only paced for 100pts once in his 7 years. And what if that was his unrepeatable Kadri/Huberdeau/Gaudreau season? 31 year old Stamkos also had a career 106 points last year so what is one big year worth?

Even with the MVP season thats not close to a $14M player, sorry. He needs to bring the smoke every year like McDavid and he hasn't been able to. He might prove me absolutely wrong going forward but his track record is what it is and only a single season over 85 points should tell us something.

Not a diss on the player because I think he is a great goal scorer but they need to decide if its the club or a couple of agents that are controlling the Leafs cap situation. He isn't McDavid and should not be aiming there. We don't need hometown discounts, just contracts based on reality.

Wouldn't you as a player be embarrassed to ask for more than the best player in the game? I know I would. I know he scores goals..that was the big + that he had over McDavid...but guess what..he can score goals at a better rate now. So I just don't understand the hubris of someone who is clearly inferior to the best player (by a lot) asking for more money than the best. It just stuns me. Now...hopefully he will ask for a reasonable amount and be the contract leader for a short time...but somehow I doubt it.