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

[therealkoho]

I agree with many, Matthews shows willingness to play ball or you trade him. It's not about how hard it is to get players like him it's about pride and standards in your org. People will know the next star we get, the speculation will be 4-5 year deals at big money and the player will expect it.

Put the foot down now and say you take something we can win with or we don't want you. To all of them. And if none want it, then we rebuild. I would much rather do that than go through 5 years with Matthews at 15, Marner 14, Nylander maybe at 10 or 11.

They haven't won shit to be paid like that. And they aren't #1 in the league either at their positions they are top 5 mostly so why the massive overpays?

They needed to put the foot down with Will, it was a missed opportunity.

 

[Menzinger]

The Shanahan thing was speculation by Chris Johnston, based on Shanny telling him the players were informed of what was coming so they'd be prepared for the media storm that would create.

Shanahan I doubt would have handcuffed an incoming GM by telling any of them that they would not be traded.

Or Shanny made made being in agreement with his views on the core a main factor in who he hired

imo there's a reason why Shanny made a quick hire with Trevling rather than interview a wider range of candidates. He wanted someone who would hit the ground running to continue to implement his vision of the team

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Or Shanny made made being in agreement with his views on the core a main factor in who he hired

imo there's a reason why Shanny made a quick hire with Trevling rather than interview a wider range of candidates. He wanted someone who would hit the ground running to continue to implement his vision of the team

or he told them trade Mitch and/or Matty and/or Willy ASAP and don't let door hit ya in da *ss on way outta my office .. and get er done quickly before we are stuck with these losers .. what is said to media is generally a load of crap

 

[geo25]

Or Shanny made made being in agreement with his views on the core a main factor in who he hired

imo there's a reason why Shanny made a quick hire with Trevling rather than interview a wider range of candidates. He wanted someone who would hit the ground running to continue to implement his vision of the team

Its quite possible the puppetmaster (aka Shanny) was & is the Real problem

 

[TheGreenTBer]

They needed to put the foot down with Will, it was a missed opportunity.

I agree, and for that and many other reasons I think the well here is frankly poisoned and would prefer to start over.

Not going to happen though.

 

[therealkoho]

Or Shanny made made being in agreement with his views on the core a main factor in who he hired

imo there's a reason why Shanny made a quick hire with Trevling rather than interview a wider range of candidates. He wanted someone who would hit the ground running to continue to implement his vision of the team

I don't see it as a quick hire, B3 and Shanny have known each other for many years and worked together at head office in NY. Shanny knows him better than he ever knew Kyle, which in retrospect wasnt a whole bunch, considering the way Dubas spread the dirt around on his exit. Talk about fairweather friends, it was like Shanny was his enemy.

Tannenbaum and Treliving Sr are long time family friends and not just business associates, so there was probably complete agreement at board level on Tannys recommendation

Boy oh boy talk about yer hockey nicknames
Shanny, Tanny, Trees, Prids and Keefer

 

[Nineteen67]

You understand that Crosby has been grossly underpaid by AAV due to the type of deal he signed than isn’t even legal anymore, right?

Suggestion Matthews didn’t meet his contract is utterly ridiculous

His contract is a big reason why they can’t ice a competitive team.

 

[WillNy29]

His contract is a big reason why they can’t ice a competitive team.

does this mean that no superstar should ever earn top dollar in the NHL?

 

[therealkoho]

His contract is a big reason why they can’t ice a competitive team.

His combined with the others is definitely a huge problem

Having only two of those would be livable, 3 is debilitating and Wills soon to be 10ish contract would end any chance of them being able to be competitive.

 

[therealkoho]

does this mean that no superstar should ever earn top dollar in the NHL?

The reality is that there are limitations whether the players like it or not.

Of the 20 players on a team you can't have more than 5 passengers

3 superstars 2 stars 1 avg goaltender 5 middling NHLers and 10 passengers doesn't win and never will

You know what really closed it for me, watching Stamkos slap him around, with his size and he should've at the very least snapped Stamkos head back with a jab, but no nothing. You'd think in a playoff game the adrenaline alone would make you react, but just bloodless, absolutely no fire at all.

At least Mitch tried to slap Tkachuk back

 

[Nineteen67]

His combined with the others is definitely a huge problem

Having only two of those would be livable, 3 is debilitating and Wills soon to be 10ish contract would end any chance of them being able to be competitive.

They cant even put together two lines because they’re similar sa
players with same flaws.

 

[Racer88]

Or Shanny made made being in agreement with his views on the core a main factor in who he hired

imo there's a reason why Shanny made a quick hire with Trevling rather than interview a wider range of candidates. He wanted someone who would hit the ground running to continue to implement his vision of the team

I’m guessing that the reason he needed a GM as soon as possible because time was of the essence dealing with Matthews and Marner before July 1st

 

[ShaneFalco]

does this mean that no superstar should ever earn top dollar in the NHL?

It means no GM should spend 50% of the cap on 4 players - none of which play a physical game....at all

 

[WillNy29]

It means no GM should spend 50% of the cap on 4 players - none of which play a physical game....at all

but you can still pay top end players and you can't win without them. As the cap rises more players are going to be making more money; Bettman has skewed the perception of athletes for hockey fans. Look at other leagues those players are making tons of money because they don't have a commissioner trying to artificially push the cap down by continually trying to keep the Coyotes afloat.

I would also say that 34 does play a physical game when he needs to and has thrown big hits multiple times

 

[ShaneFalco]

34 being physical

 

[Trapper]

does this mean that no superstar should ever earn top dollar in the NHL?

No but you have to be extremely careful who you commit too.
I know it’s fun to watch all shiny, fancy plays, but if you are committing top dollar to a core, an individual, they must have skill, edge, playoffs, rush, grind, etc. in their DNA makeup. A little bit of everything.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

It means no GM should spend 50% of the cap on 4 players - none of which play a physical game....at all

You need to refine this a bit .. if you had MAC, Matty, Hedman and Vasi you could spend 50% of CAP on 4 players .. but we are doing it on 4 forwards .. that is what is impossible to manage around .. need a 1G and a 1D to win in playoffs and 2Cs .. after that you can build around a core

 

[ShaneFalco]

You need to refine this a bit .. if you had MAC, Matty, Hedman and Vasi you could spend 50% of CAP on 4 players .. but we are doing it on 4 forwards .. that is what is impossible to manage around .. need a 1G and a 1D to win in playoffs and 2Cs .. after that you can build around a core

And 4 players who take up huge minutes that can't play a consistent physical game.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

And 4 players who take up huge minutes that can't play a consistent physical game.

also outside of Willy they aren't really fast either .. skill alone does not win .. speed and scrappiness easily beat skill as we saw with cats .. now cats ran into Vegas which has speed size scrappiness and some skill too .. to win a Cup you need SPEED SIZE TOUGNESS and some skill (not a lot but some)

 

[Sypher04]

You need to refine this a bit .. if you had MAC, Matty, Hedman and Vasi you could spend 50% of CAP on 4 players .. but we are doing it on 4 forwards .. that is what is impossible to manage around .. need a 1G and a 1D to win in playoffs and 2Cs .. after that you can build around a core

I agree. It’s more about constuction and our guys needing to play to their capabilities when it matters than it is their total cap

For comparison:

37 million
Barkov, Tkachuk, Bobrovsky, Ekblad

39.5 million
Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares

Not an overly notable difference in cap between these quartets

 

[MCR74]

It means no GM should spend 50% of the cap on 4 players - none of which play a physical game....at all

This x 1000.

Wouldn't be such a problem is the big 4 delivered - but they don't.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I've said this before but if he's asking for 14M or more, you have to be realistic as a GM.

You can like a player but still realize there's a ceiling where the player is simply not worth it. What's the point of signing a player if it's almost impossible to build a winner around them? Right now, only McDavid can ask for that much and it will look reasonable.

At 14M, Matthews needs to be a Hart Trophy winner every year. The fact he can put up a season like this year is completely unacceptable for 11.64M let alone 14M.

 

[WillNy29]

No but you have to be extremely careful who you commit too.
I know it’s fun to watch all shiny, fancy plays, but if you are committing top dollar to a core, an individual, they must have skill, edge, playoffs, rush, grind, etc. in their DNA makeup. A little bit of everything.

lol so then no one would have committed to Eichel or Tkachuk before this year because playoffs was off that list. Ive never seen Kane play with an edge and he owns a conne smythe and deserved his $10m contract. You can't just make things up to give out contracts to people who LOOK like they play a certain way. But that's why we keep chasing cup winners out of Toronto and will continue to do so. Its a tale as old as Larry Murphy

 

[myleafs]

It's also worth mentioning that the Players Association would have a collective meltdown if Matthews does not drive the value of the contract above the current highest value - MacKinnon at $12.6m.

A player with much more individual success than Mack who has performed to a much higher standard over the course of their careers.

As far as what we know:

Nothing.

We don't know anything at all.
We have had lots of speculation thrown, but considering the sources of said information, it's completely meaningless.
We know what Matthews has said, and that also has about as much weight as a mouse-fart.

A much higher standard than Mack you say? I took the numbers over the last 7 yrs for both players....since Matthews started......we wont get into the fact that Mack plays with fire and has won a cup.

Regular Season
Nate.. 491gms 225g 381a 606pts
Matthews 481gms 299g 243a 542 pts

Playoffs
Nate 77gms 44g 56a 100pts
Matthews 50gms 22g 22a 44pts

Fact: Matthews lied to management about the mooning incident
Fact: Matthews father promoted and participated in the furtherance of that lie.
Fact: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

There is a distinct lack of character exhibited in all that.

Fact

I might be wrong but didnt Marleau tell him to keep the incident to himself?

 

[Racer88]

I agree. It’s more about constuction and our guys needing to play to their capabilities when it matters than it is their total cap

For comparison:

37 million
Barkov, Tkachuk, Bobrovsky, Ekblad

39.5 million
Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares

Not an overly notable difference in cap between these quartets

Expect for 1 is a goalie and isn’t 1 a Dman ……..not 4 similar forwards. That’s the problem