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

[al secord]

Yeah, and the super expensive ones are all forwards.

So we want to TRADE one of them to fill out the rest of the roster.

It’s not like the team didn’t give it a try. These guys were drafted 7 years ago…

Who would've thunk elite players would be expensive?

 

[Dekes For Days]

ok what did they bring in the last 7 years in the playoffs that helped Leafs go on deep runs

The team's unfortunate outcomes thus far don't change the fact that they've brought a ton to the team in the playoffs - offensively, defensively, and everything in between.

 

[PromisedLand]

The team's unfortunate outcomes thus far don't change the fact that they've brought a ton to the team in the playoffs - offensively, defensively, and everything in between.

This is such a copout

The so called “unfortunate” outcomes are the direct result of high AAV players not doing what they are paid to do.

One or two years can be outliers. 7 years in a row is a trend not an outlier

They have to take lower AAV not have anymore “unfortunate” outcomes

This isn’t a charity. It’s a result driven business. Dubas screwed the Leafs doesn’t mean the new guy (Treliving) has to continue on the same stupid path of his predecessor

 

[Dekes For Days]

The so called “unfortunate” outcomes are the direct result of high AAV players not doing what they are paid to do.

No, it's not.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Who would've thunk elite players would be expensive?

I mean... the very clear point is that our most expensive elite players are all FORWARDS, too much cap is tied up on them (and it's going to get A LOT worse very soon), and that it's a good idea to trade ONE of them to fill out the rest of the team.

Not to "get rid of them". Not to "kick them out." To TRADE one of them for great players at other positions.

Like, what is confusing about this? If the leafs had 4 amazing defensemen taking up HALF our cap, you don't think it's logical to suggest possibly trading one of them for offensive help? What the hell is going on here?

 

[Mess]

This is such a copout

The so called “unfortunate” outcomes are the direct result of high AAV players not doing what they are paid to do.

One or two years can be outliers. 7 years in a row is a trend not an outlier

They have to take lower AAV not have anymore “unfortunate” outcomes

This isn’t a charity. It’s a result driven business. Dubas screwed the Leafs doesn’t mean the new guy (Treliving) has to continue on the same stupid path of his predecessor.

Why a team like Vegas is so Cup competitive .. 4 X final 4 appearances in 6 years of existence including 2 SCF and currently 1 game away from hoisting the Cup .. Its all about Salary Cap management and building a deep team.

Playoff scoring Vegas.

Vegas 2 big expensive forwards Eichel and Stone are among their leading scorers doing their part as expected. But there are no 15% CH% or $11 mil players here either. However now look at their depth forwards in cap cost vs contribution in the playoffs.

Between Marchessault (@$5 mil AAV) 13 playoff goals + Karlsson (@$5.9 mil AAV) 11 playoff goals and Stephenson (@$2.75 mil AAV) 10 playoff goals = 34 playoff goals for $13.65 mil total Cap usage.

*** Those 3 depth players make +$2 mil AAV more combined than Auston Matthews and have outscored him 34 to 5 playoff goals this year. **

Pick Matthews and any Maple Leaf forward making $2 mil or less and tell me for $13.6 mil cap combined who you expect will score 34 goals in just 21 games in any NHL playoff season? When Matthews goes scoreless in 5 games it no surprise Leafs are into Golfing season.

Would you rather have Tavares at $11 mil AAV 4-4-8 points or Marchessault & Karlsson at $10.9 combined and 24 goals 16 assists and 40 points?

Leafs still foolishly believe they can spend 1/2 their entire salary Cap on just 4 forwards and be successful.. In fact it helps explain why the Leafs are the least successful playoff team in a Cap era instead.

 

[ORRFForever]

I am sure this article has been posted but...

MSN

LOVE these quotes....

"A player as soft as butter in the noon-day sun. But tough as nails at the negotiating table. "

Bob wrote, “If Matthews is worth that then [Connor] McDavid is worth triple that Matthews needs a wake-up call spoiled overrated player that’s my opinion.” Dogheels wrote, “What do you think Matthews’ numbers will look like? Will they be worth $14mil+ a year? Let’s face it. He’s no Connor.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

No, it's not.

Based on career playoff stats:

Matthews: Playoff points per 82 = 72
Playoff goals per 82 = 36

Do those stats reflect an 11.6 million dollar player?

Marner: Playoff points per 82 = 77
Playoff goals per 82 = (lol) 16.... SIXTEEN!!!!!

Do those stats reflect a 10.9 million dollar player?

Tavares: Playoff points per 82 = (lol) 58
Playoff goals per 82 = 29

Do those stats reflect a 11 million dollar player?

Nylander: Playoff points per 82 = 65
Playoff goals per 82 = 27

I mean, those numbers are pretty mediocre. But this is our closest contract to be "worth it" based on playoff performance. 1 out of 4 ain't bad, right Dubas? But now consider his above numbers under the mayhem of whatever his new contract will be.

Now do this with the other "superstar" players. MacKinnon. Drai. McDavid. Kucherove. Do you have any idea how much better their playoff stats are? Like, ANY idea? Come on Dekes. The problem in the playoffs is the core not living up to their contracts. THAT'S he problem. The problem Dekes is THAT. TTTTHHHHAAAATTTTT!!!!!

THAT'S the problem Dekes.

 

[Legion34]

The cap increase is always just around the corner with Bettman. If they have $93 million cap earmarked for 2024, why not just loosen the cap a bit more than a million in the meantime to help player movement a little bit to improve the entertainment product?

Just fyi apparently they are going to hit the projection no question. Which would make the 50% HRR go up to 93.75

But the issue is that the cap cannot go up more than 5% any given year.

So when they pay off the debts it will only go up 5% until it matches hrr

If they dont pay the debts it would be

23-24: 83.5
24-25 87.5
25-26: 91.8
26-27: 96.5

If they do pay it off it would go up 1 year earlier

Seravalli maybe didn’t know that detail

 

[ORRFForever]

Based on career playoff stats:

Matthews: Playoff points per 82 = 72
Playoff goals per 82 = 36

Do those stats reflect an 11.6 million dollar player?

Marner: Playoff points per 82 = 77
Playoff goals per 82 = (lol) 16.... SIXTEEN!!!!!

Do those stats reflect a 10.9 million dollar player?

Tavares: Playoff points per 82 = (lol) 58
Playoff goals per 82 = 29

Do those stats reflect a 11 million dollar player?

Nylander: Playoff points per 82 = 65
Playoff goals per 82 = 27

I mean, those numbers are pretty mediocre. But this is our closest contract to be "worth it" based on playoff performance. 1 out of 4 ain't bad, right Dubas? But now consider his above numbers under the mayhem of whatever his new contract will be.

Now do this with the other "superstar" players. MacKinnon. Drai. McDavid. Kucherove. Do you have any idea how much better their playoff stats are? Like, ANY idea? Come on Dekes. The problem in the playoffs is the core not living up to their contracts. THAT'S he problem. The problem Dekes is THAT. TTTTHHHHAAAATTTTT!!!!!

THAT'S the problem Dekes.

Remember when they signed and posters said the salary cap would sky rocket and they'd be a bargain at the end of their contracts.

How has that turned out?

They're still not a bargain and they still want more.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Remember when they signed and posters said the salary cap would sky rocket and they'd be a bargain at the end of their contracts.

How has that turned out?

no one is as smart as you. Vividly remember your posts from 2019 saying that a global pandemic was about to come and freeze the cap for the duration of these contracts!

 

[BallardEra]

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www.tsn.ca

 

[Racer88]

Your method essentially blames him for the league playing less games due to a global pandemic, which ends up misrepresenting what he actually scores and brings to a team relative to the rest of the league.

1 season. If you like I can take it out and recalculate.

 

[authentic]

Remember when they signed and posters said the salary cap would sky rocket and they'd be a bargain at the end of their contracts.

How has that turned out?

They're still not a bargain and they still want more.

Silly gooses couldn't even predict COVID

 

[ORRFForever]

no one is as smart as you. Vividly remember your posts from 2019 saying that a global pandemic was about to come and freeze the cap for the duration of these contracts!

And people scoffed when I said it. Who's laughing now?

TBH, I did say the virus would be called "Cavid-19", not "Covid-19" so...

No one is perfect.

 

[BallardEra]

 

[Stephen]

I assume we would be trading more futures to compete sometime in the future. Having Matthews signed long-term can be used as a trade piece down the road when we eventually decide to re-tool or rebuild again.

ROR returned a 1st round pick, i think matthews if he is still productive ccan return even more in the future if leafs retain on one to two years down the road.

the contract structure has to be done right i.e. no NMCs and NTCs in the last 2 to 3 years of the contract.

Or they re-spend Matthews $13+ million like drunken sailors on UFAs...

I'd also say you're playing some 4D chess with your expectations when you not only want to sign a guy to the right AAV and term, but have enough structure that you can sell them off in a hypothetical rebuild 9 years from now.

 

[Stephen]

Just fyi apparently they are going to hit the projection no question. Which would make the 50% HRR go up to 93.75

But the issue is that the cap cannot go up more than 5% any given year.

So when they pay off the debts it will only go up 5% until it matches hrr

If they dont pay the debts it would be

23-24: 83.5
24-25 87.5
25-26: 91.8
26-27: 96.5

If they do pay it off it would go up 1 year earlier

Seravalli maybe didn’t know that detail

Cap going up is a Bettman carrot they like dangling in front of everyone.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Matthews is definitely a generational talent. I can’t quote exactly, but I believe since entering the league only 2 or 3 other players have scored more goals than him? You can have the mindset/stance of not overpaying him without trying to diminish who he is as a player.

Do I think it’s smart to overpay him? No, but he is an elite talent. I wish they would understand and accept if they take less they would win. But who knows who’s pushing him to be the highest payed. Could be the NHLPA for all we know.

I don’t see what would be beneficial to the P.A about having Matthews be the highest paid player. There’s only so much money to go around and it just leaves less available to the other P.A members. If the Leafs were notorious for being a tight budget team regularly playing out seasons with a bunch of cap space leftover they’d have a legitimate reason for squeezing but that certainly isn’t the case.

 

[Legion34]

Cap going up is a Bettman carrot they like dangling in front of everyone.

Bettman is the one that says it isnt?

Just to be clear. Are you saying they are lying about hrr which would be a crime if there is any stocks (not sure if there are)

Or that bettman will just refuse and ignore the CBA? I have no idea what your are saying?

Like this year? Or ever?

 

[francis246]

I don’t see what would be beneficial to the P.A about having Matthews be the highest paid player. There’s only so much money to go around and it just leaves less available to the other P.A members. If the Leafs were notorious for being a tight budget team regularly playing out seasons with a bunch of cap space leftover they’d have a legitimate reason for squeezing but that certainly isn’t the case.

No it doesn’t leave less available to other PA members. It’s common sense, PA wants their players to make the most money possible. Especially their stars. MacKinnon talked about it when he signed his contract. Acknowledged that the PA wouldn’t be happy about him signing just $100,000 more than McDavid.

 

[Kiwi]

Silly gooses couldn't even predict COVID

If Matthews signs for 8 years instead of 5 he's under contract for 4 more seasons

Instead we gave him 11.6M over 5 and completely screwed ourselves

Blame COVID all you want but Leafs management couldn't have played this any worse if they tried and they have let our players use them like doormats

Our players may be entitled greedy losers but I blame management for not even trying to reign them in even when they were behaving like prats

 

[Trapper]

Silly gooses couldn't even predict COVID

Last I checked Covid lasted for 3 years, not 3 months.
Could’ve traded someone, or done many things in that time. We needed D, needed goaltending, needed depth.
Can’t predict everything but a good management can adapt.

 

[Nineteen67]

Hindsight being what it is, Matthews making $9 million over 3 years would have worked out well for the player and the team.

Would have taken a couple of million out of Marner's pocket, for a combined give or take $5 million in savings up till the end of 2022.

Could have survived the Marleau contract crisis and retained the Seth Jarvis pick and then added a credible defenseman, or kept Hyman.

The deal would have expired after the Hart Trophy season, so Matthews might be at $12+ million by now.

Probably would have had more success.

The over payments to the core 4 could have landed Pietrangelo.

 

[Martin Skoula]

The over payments to the core 4 could have landed Pietrangelo.

So could moving Kerfoot and not signing Brodie.