True. A season like this might not be repeatable if his team isn't near the top in opportunities again, but it's also amazing how he's basically having the best powerplay season of all time. Lemieux is the only one to score more on the powerplay and he played around 7 minutes on the powerplay in those seasons.
Tribute Auston Matthews Discussion Thread II: Record Breaking Edition
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True. A season like this might not be repeatable if his team isn't near the top in opportunities again, but it's also amazing how he's basically having the best powerplay season of all time. Lemieux is the only one to score more on the powerplay and he played around 7 minutes on the powerplay in those seasons.
Through the specified time frame (first 477 games)...
PP TOI/GP
Matthews: 2:54
Ovechkin: 5:29
Arzak
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Zur En Arrh
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:format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/leafs/opinion/2023/04/13/nhl-playoffs-could-impact-auston-matthews-long-term-future-with-maple-leafs/auston_matthews.jpg)
Opinion | NHL playoffs could impact Auston Matthews’ long-term future with Maple Leafs
Matthews can start working on an extension on July 1. It begs the question: Are the Leafs’ playoff success and a long-term contract intertwined?
While the Leafs collectively need to perform to get past the Lightning, it’s safe to say that all eyes will yet again be focused on a chosen few — including one particular player who will be seeking a new contract this July. This isn’t any ordinary contract, but one that should make Auston Matthews the highest-paid player in NHL history.
To avoid the contract discussion all season long, Matthews took a single question about his upcoming negotiations back in September and made sure everyone knew he wouldn’t be addressing it again. And let the record show, his plan worked. No one in the media asked him probing questions.
“I’ve loved my time here. I really love playing in the city of Toronto, I consider it home now,” Matthews said in September.
“The city has embraced the players, embraced myself, my family. I have grown comfortable in my own skin here. It’s not easy to do that at times. It’s such a special place to play.”
Matthews has one more season left on his current deal worth $11.6 million (U.S.) But the days until July 1 — where he’ll officially be allowed to start negotiating an extension with the Leafs — are dwindling. So those contract questions are once again percolating and more likely to come up.
With the regular season ending this week, I’ll take the first crack at asking: Are the Leafs’ playoff success and Matthews’s commitment to a long-term contract intertwined?
A successful first round would go a long way toward the superstar forward feeling this is the place he would like to play long term.
But if the Leafs do find themselves on the wrong side of the playoff outcome in round one, it will be Matthews’s seventh consecutive early exit. Would that decrease the odds of him re-signing for the long haul?
In all likelihood that scenario would lead to Kyle Dubas’s departure and a new general manager could be the one negotiating with major changes to the roster pending. This might be another wrinkle in Matthews’s decision.
Beyond his agent and parents, no one seems to know what his thoughts are about July 1. And despite his reluctance to throw out token comments like how much he likes it here and wants to stay, it hasn’t kept Leafs fans from speculating about his intentions.
The one question I’ve been asked more than any other this season is: “Will he stay or will he go?”
As I see it, Matthews has only four real options:
• Sign a short-term contract.
• Sign a long-term deal.
• Stall and wait it out.
• Pull a Matthew Tkachuk and ask the Leafs to trade him this summer.
But one thing is crystal clear: Allowing Matthews’s status to hang in the balance next season is not an option for MLSE.
In the past, it would have been comforting for fans to know that Matthews had another full season to work on signing an extension. Maybe he needed more time to decide. Those days appear to be gone.
This is not a repeat of the William Nylander situation from 2018. He sat out the start of the season but as a restricted free agent he had nowhere else to go. Matthews could walk out the door for free in a little over 12 months.
BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
Skullz
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Been a bit of a down season, but has been battling injuries. Does not matter now. Playoffs are a different animal.
I expect him to come out guns blazing. He's hungry, like all of the boys.
I expect him to come out guns blazing. He's hungry, like all of the boys.
Zur En Arrh
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I don't care about mcdavid or him backpacking drai, auston Matthews is the best player, all-around player in the world and the mains can suck it!!!
DarkKnight
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I always love how this thread is nowhere to be found, but others are getting crucified (justifiably). When is this guy going to come out like a leader, put the team on his back, instead of the typical coasting around, no jam, waiting for someone else to set the tone. Where’s the intensity and desire??
BUMP!
BUMP!
He played well in the first period and was driving hard to the net. The 1st line was the best line for the leafs in the first and that's because of him. Due to the horrific penalty calls in the 2nd, his minutes were disjointed as hell and he went long stretches without even being on the ice. The 3rd period everybody should just throw out given the game was over. He averaged 20:17 for the season and only payed 17:51 and 4:54 was on the powerplay in Game 1.
Matthews was getting blasted in the GDT. And he’s been blasted in this thread countless times too - though not for last night. Given the circumstances I didn’t think he was bad last night, but he certainly wasn’t good either.
We got moments at best from our stars. At least Matthews was physically engaged unlike the rest, but not good enough all around
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saffronleaf
Registered User
loser, choker, cap space vampire
ship him off to arizona before july first
ship him off to arizona before july first
HamiltonNHL
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Yes, he was. The only two players on the team who had more hits than his 5 were McCabe and Acciari, who both had 7.
Considering Matthews only played 13 ES minutes and people generally don’t do much checking on the powerplay, I would say that is pretty engaged.
Doesn’t change that last night wasn’t at all good enough, but it’s not like our players stunk at everything just because we’re unhappy with them today.
HamiltonNHL
Resigning Marner == Running it back
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Larcos_Unal
Registered Nurse
I'm beginning to think that Matthews just does not have the clutch gene in him. He can pot 60 in regular season but can he show up in the playoffs when the intensity picks up??
All the elite centers have the ability to raise their games and take over...simply will their teams to win. I have yet to see Matthews have the balls to do this in his entire tenure in Toronto. Last night was embarrassing, simply pathetic. He looked scared and disengaged, not acceptable.
Looking forward to the microscope being on him even more as the series continues, it's on him to step up and drag his line.
All the elite centers have the ability to raise their games and take over...simply will their teams to win. I have yet to see Matthews have the balls to do this in his entire tenure in Toronto. Last night was embarrassing, simply pathetic. He looked scared and disengaged, not acceptable.
Looking forward to the microscope being on him even more as the series continues, it's on him to step up and drag his line.
DarkKnight
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Don’t forget his whopping 2 shots, even with 5 minutes on the PP.
He hasn’t shown another gear, he came out like it was Feb against the Sens.
The core player who has honestly come closest to showing he has another gear is Nylander. Matthews and Marner have been good at points but not good enough.
saffronleaf
Registered User
to be fair this year he didn't even show up in the regular season when the intensity was low.
I don’t disagree he wasn’t nearly as good as he needs to be, but that’s just garbage.
HamiltonNHL
Resigning Marner == Running it back
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His perimeter shooting game is fine when nobody blocks lanes in the regular season. The setups he needs to score just don't come during the playoffs.
Nylander CONSISTENTLY scores more in the playoffs. The writing is on the wall.
He looked good in the first, and then just seemed like a guy out there for the rest of the game. If he was making Nylander's salary nobody makes a peep, but this guy is one of the highest paid players in the league. He can't just be good, he needs to take over. If all it takes is a Denault or a Cirelli to shut this guy down then when its time to discuss salary, you give him a significant pay cut or ship him out of town. Matthews has little to no playoff clutch factor it's so sad to see.
This is it, he's been fine, even 'good' but he needs to be more than that.
Honest question, has Matthews ever had great game, a dominant game in the playoffs in his career?
