Auston Matthews (Trade or Keep)? (CANNOT re-sign before July 1st. - NMC July 1st.)

[HolyGhost]

There needs to be a draft day commitment deadline to staying long term.
Either telling the Leafs he is not signing long term, or not telling them equals the same answer. Trade.

Shot in the dark--you think the hawks will trade number 1 to the leafs for Matthews and a 2nd?

 

[daveleaf]

Shot in the dark--you think the hawks will trade number 1 to the leafs for Matthews and a 2nd?

Why would you have to add lol?

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I know there a thread going on for matthews but I want to see a poll

Should we Trade or Keep Matthews?

Scenarios:
- We keep matthews then:
A) he either walks as UFA
B) he wants anywhere from 14 to 15 AAV for 8 years

Given his drive the last few years especially in the playoffs I am not comfortable giving him that kind of AAV I don't give a F how many "regular season" goals he scores

OR

- We trade Matthews and get some picks/prospects and retool/rebuild again
Question then becomes how much can we get for Matthews given he only has 1 more year before he hits UFA market, what is the other team going to pay for something like that and risk matthews walking as a UFA?

So leafs nation what do you think?

Trade or Keep Matthews?

I say TOR should trade Nylander and Marner. Get major assets for them. In 2 years Matthews will be the 1C, Tavares will be gone, and you'll have a competitive team.

 

[daveleaf]

I say hire the new person and have a meeting with the agent with a contract that he can't refuse. If they don't sign inform him that he will be traded before the end of the month and end the meeting. Listen. He's a very skilled player. I don't believe he would raise a cup in Toronto. There will be many many suitors willing to unload the farm to get him. It would clear the cap situation and bring in some much needed talent. You also made a very hard line for the others to buy in a be moved.

 

[trellaine201]

As hard as it is you have to see what you can get back if it doesnt sound like he wants to commit.

 

[trellaine201]

I say hire the new person and have a meeting with the agent with a contract that he can't refuse. If they don't sign inform him that he will be traded before the end of the month and end the meeting. Listen. He's a very skilled player. I don't believe he would raise a cup in Toronto. There will be many many suitors willing to unload the farm to get him. It would clear the cap situation and bring in some much needed talent. You also made a very hard line for the others to buy in a be moved.

You won’t get as much back as you think UNLESS he agrees to a contrat with the new team. I think were hooped either way . Maybe we need to wait and hope to sign him during the year or trade him near the deadline. Sounds like AM has all the leverage.

 

[rumman]

He's going to walk as a UFA anyways, so you have to trade him. We've mortgaged our future way too much already for these bums.

I’m certain this is what will happen, he’s a American and will want to go to a big US market. They have to figure out which big US market teams have what they need and move on. 34 has all the talent in the world no doubt about it, but if he was the real deal we’d have seen it by now

Shot in the dark--you think the hawks will trade number 1 to the leafs for Matthews and a 2nd?

Nope, but I’d make that deal in a New York minute……..

 

[tmlms13]

Here's my plan:

Plan A: resign 8y at 14.0
Plan D: resign 5y at 13.0
Plan C : trade for as close to equal value in current players as possible (no picks/prospects)
Plan D: trade for mega package of unprotected picks, top prospects etc.

If I was Matthews I would actually consider this, it is creative and something we've never seen before in Hard Cap era from a mega star. He'd make himself like the most popular Leaf ever.

Resign 1y year at NHL Min (2024-25 season). That would be like 12.0m pay cut.

In 25-26, JT's anchor is gone, Escrow is gone, Cap will probably be around 90m. Can legit ask and get 16m. Signing the 8 years starting in 25-26 is worth a ton more than at 8 years starting 24-25. It will make up for that 12m and more.

 

[Funk21]

Offer 12.7 x 8, if AM isn’t willing to sign you trade him to Zona for this:

TML
Geekie
2023 6th OA
2023 12th OA
2025 TML 2nd

Zona
AM
Murray

He gets to play in front of 5000 people. Sure there is a ton of risk and the retool will take a few years but I actually think we will be a better team by not committing to a player who seems to have zero heart and has never elevated his game when it matters most.

 

[Funk21]

Here's my plan:

Plan A: resign 8y at 14.0
Plan D: resign 5y at 13.0
Plan C : trade for as close to equal value in current players as possible (no picks/prospects)
Plan D: trade for mega package of unprotected picks, top prospects etc.

If I was Matthews I would actually consider this, it is creative and something we've never seen before in Hard Cap era from a mega star. He'd make himself like the most popular Leaf ever.

Resign 1y year at NHL Min (2024-25 season). That would be like 12.0m pay cut.

In 25-26, JT's anchor is gone, Escrow is gone, Cap will probably be around 90m. Can legit ask and get 16m. Signing the 8 years starting in 25-26 is worth a ton more than at 8 years starting 24-25. It will make up for that 12m and more.

I’m glad you’re not the GM, sorry in what world does Matthews deserve 14 million per…. That over 15% of the projected cap. 14.64% of an 87.5 million dollar cap is 12.7, he takes that or less on a n 8 year deal or he is out of here.

 

[daveleaf]

You won’t get as much back as you think UNLESS he agrees to a contrat with the new team. I think were hooped either way . Maybe we need to wait and hope to sign him during the year or trade him near the deadline. Sounds like AM has all the leverage.

I disagree, I think you have one year as the new team to convince him to sign. That is worth way more than a pitch on July ! whenever one else is making the same pitch. Time to make the deal and move on. This tells all current and future players nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Ulysses31]

If im matthews' agent my comparable for matthews next contract is draistaitl's next contract, and while considering they are comparable hockey players (drai may be better) matthews is younger and hence selling more prime years. Long story short if matthews next contract isn't at least a few 100k higher than drais next contract it is a failure on the part of matthews' agent.

EDIT: Or if you want to compare to mackinnon, it should be at least 1mil aav higher for the same reasons

 

[Roo]

Keep him and resign. Kind of crazy to see the results of this poll. You dont trade away elite talent like that. No reason to believe he doesnt want to sign here. You dont give up on elite franchise talents like this at 25 years of age. Such an obvious answer here, and so grateful that the majority voting here have nothing to do with these decisions.

 

[tmlms13]

I’m glad you’re not the GM, sorry in what world does Matthews deserve 14 million per…. That over 15% of the projected cap. 14.64% of an 87.5 million dollar cap is 12.7, he takes that or less on a n 8 year deal or he is out of here.

he's gonna get it. this isnt a video game

 

[ULF_55]

Resign vs re-sign

Resign, used as a transitive verb, means to give up or relinquish something. Resign, used as an intransitive verb means to leave a position or job. In chess, when one resigns, one ends the game

grammarist.com

Resign appears in the English language in the late fourteenth century with the meaning give up, surrender, abandon, submit, relinquish, coming from the Latin resignare, which means to check off, annul, cancel, give back, give up. Re-sign is transitive verb which means to sign again.

Hope he re-signs, but if not I'll be resigned to Leafs without Mahovolich.

 

[Funk21]

he's gonna get it. this isnt a video game

If he does it shouldn’t be from the TML. What you are suggesting defies all logic. That is the reason why we haven’t won a SC since 1967. He wants to stay here? He wants to win here? Well that means taking less so we can build a winner. Plus any player who plays in Canada already gets a 35% pay increase.

The media and fans like you need to stop postering with insane salaries and start being realistic with these players of what they should get. Let me ask one simple question can we pay 14 million across 2 or maybe 3 players to equal or better his production? Let’s say Barbashev, Bertuzzi and Accari? If the answer is yes (which I think it would by 20+ points) I think you have your answer on how to build a team.

 

[djpunkrog]

You keep World Class players and try to add complimentary players who can play to his strengths.

 

[geo25]

Matthews staying in Toronto is not an option here. He holds all the cards and it is going to go down the same way that Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau did to Calgary last summer. Matthews is going to tell Toronto the exact same thing they did, I am American, and I want to go home. I am not resigning in Toronto.

Los Angeles is the target.

Agreed....he took a page from JT's book. Move him while we can.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Other:
he must be traded if he doesnt re-sign.

THERE ARE MANY SITUATIONS WHERE HE WONT RESIGN.

You keep World Class players

if he doesnt re-up his contract he is walking.

 

[123offtheglass]

39 days is a short window to hire a new GM, assess what a possible extension would be, & then complete a massive trade that you don’t lose… let’s hope he signs a fair extension & doesn’t pinch out every dollar he can, or walk to UFA.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

39 days is a short window to hire a new GM, assess what a possible extension would be, & then complete a massive trade that you don’t lose… let’s hope he signs a fair extension & doesn’t pinch out every dollar he can, or walk to UFA.

we are so screwed.

Matthews must be traded if he won't re-sign.

Marner must be traded as his NMC kicks in before being able to resign.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I say TOR should trade Nylander and Marner. Get major assets for them. In 2 years Matthews will be the 1C, Tavares will be gone, and you'll have a competitive team.

What if Matthews walks ?

To Los Angeles or Arizona ?

Maybe the new Suns owner will take the Coyotes but he wants a franchise player to sell tickets ?

 

[TML Dynasty]

39 days is a short window to hire a new GM, assess what a possible extension would be, & then complete a massive trade that you don’t lose… let’s hope he signs a fair extension & doesn’t pinch out every dollar he can, or walk to UFA.

Not to mention if we do find a decent trade they are more than likely going to want to know if AM would re sign there too….takes way too much time

 

[janesy12]

You make absolutely every effort possible to re-sign the 60 goal, PPG, elite centre, or you spend the next 8-10 years finding another player to come close to his talent.
In the last 30 years the Leafs have had 3 #1 centres....they do not grow on trees.

Matthews struggled against the Bobrovsky/Panthers.
So are the Canes, shut out again last night...do they blow it up?

Unless you get a complete confirmation he has no intention to re-sign, then you look at trading him, but to me that's the absolute last option. If you trade Matthews, you may as well clean house IMO. Start another rebuild.

 

[Statsman1]

How does one simply trade Matthews?

No way a team sends over a huge return for AM without some reassurances that AM will STAY there after his current contract expires.

It doesn’t seem like trading him for a pot o’ gold will be all that easy for the new GM.