Value of: Framework of a Auston Matthews trade?

[seanlinden]

Personally... I don't see Matthews making it to the start of the season without a contract.

The Leafs simply cannot afford to lose him for nothing.... and know that they're almost certainly going to be good enough to not be sellers at the deadline.

General hockey player history also says, if traded, even without a negotiated contract in place, he'll likely sign with the team that trades for him. The team acquiring him will have a pretty good idea of what he's looking for $-wise, and be comfortable in that before trading for him. Most players, as long as it's not a completely crappy destination, are happy to sign as long as they get what they feel they are worth.


As for what the "framework" has to be, at the very least, I'd imagine that it has to include young, bonafide, top 6 centre, with top line upside. I don't think Quinton Byfield or Barrett Hayton quite satisfy that criteria, so the remainder of the package would have to be pretty exciting.

Beyond that, I think you've gotta be looking for 2 other position players that can help -- a left winger with some bite, and a right-side defenceman with some size. If those are more of the "veteran" approach..... then likely add multiple picks as well.

Maybe you can do a 3-way deal with Chicago to retain 50% on Matthews.... something like:

To Toronto:
Kempe
Byfield
Connor Murphy

To Chicago:
Matt Roy
Brandt Clarke
Cal Petersen

To LA:
Matthews at 50% Retained

 

[seanlinden]

That partly depends on how much he is extended for. If it is a number that starts with 13 there wont be many teams that could trade for him even if they wanted to so that would limit his value in a trade

The Leafs are almost certainly going to be taking money back in a deal.

Auston Matthews is the type of player that most teams will make the space for... even at $13-14m.

 

[Conbon]

Lindholm, Hanifin, Huckins and a 2024 1st for Matthews. If we can talk extension with him before acquiring.

 

[CapsFrontOffice]

Joe Thornton was traded and Boston won a cup.

Sometimes you need to shake up the team to get anywhere, if someone puts forth a great offer, the Leafs should take it especially if Matthews doesn't sign.

Yeah Matthews is great, but is he worth 13+ million or can we get some young cost controlled players and use the 13 elsewhere?

The real problem with Matthews is he wants top end dollars, but can't perform like McDavid or Mack in the playoffs and the season means absolutely nothing in Toronto.

The Leafs gave him nearly a decade to try and do something in the playoffs, he failed. Not like Crosby or Ovie where they had deep runs, the team has ONE 2nd round game win in 7 years, inexcusable.

Holy crap its been a decade?
I'am old asf!

I would not say that I consider Joe Thorton an elite player, you never hear Crosby, Ovechkin and Thorton. Thorton to me is along the lines of a Backstrom or Malkin.

When you look at cap space and the likely asking amount for Mathews in a contract this does make a lot more sense now.
Its been a decade, wow!

I award myself no points, and apologize because everyone who read my previous reply is now dumber because of it, may God have mercy on my soul!

 

[Baaaaaaaaaaaaah]

AM holds all the leverage right now and this could go very badly for the Leafs.

 

[Killer Orcas]

He has Leafs over a barrel and knows it. He will get over paid or walk for a package that Leafs fans will not like. Say if he's traded it will be something like a 2C, top recent pick of a team and a 1st. He's getting a rental package if moved.

 

[Oddbob]

Considering he’s going to be able to block any trades soon, If they plan to trade him, It’s now or never.

Of course they can go the Nylander or Marner Route, But it all depends if AM Signs or not.

I’m just curious about the framework of a Matthews trade might be?

What team is going to trade for him before July 1st, when they would immediately have to give him his huge signing bonus on July 1st? Can't see any team doing that, and I also can't see the Leafs not at least offering him a new deal first, which also means July 1st.

 

[Oddbob]

Can people also stop with him going to the Coyotes! It was unlikely given the state of the franchise before the arena vote business. Then they moved to a college arena, and then they lost the vote. They also have been cutting player comfort costs and their own players have filed a complaint with the PA over it. Then you have an owner who has skipped payments to people and businesses.

What incentive does Matthews have to go there right now, when he doesn't even know if they can foot the bill to pay him? He is playing in Toronto where they spend a great deal on player amenities and Auston very much seems like a NHL lifestyle guy. That doesn't even mention this team has at least a 50/50% chance of being in a new city by next summer and that is figuring lightly as the Tempe arena deal was really their last big push. They are also very likely going to want to move any big pieces with this move and they were already a bad team.

If Auston is leaving and wants West Coast teams, it will be LA, SJ, Ana, or Seattle.

 

[slappipappi]

K’Andre Miller isn’t signed.

He’s a RFA who the Rangerscdesperatelynwant to sign.

He has a ton of value.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

If LA is getting an extended Matthews, you’d owe Toronto a lot more than Byfield and Kempe.

If Matthews is willing to sign an extension in Toronto then LA wouldn't be getting him at all. They would only ever be trading for 1 year of Matthews, and then attempt to sign him after the trade

 

[TS Quint]

It’s illegal to discuss any framework on an extension until July 1 when a non movement clause kicks in.

you are going to be trading him as a 1 yr rental…not a sign and trade. You can’t ride contingencies on him resigning.

NHL has given up on trying to control any sort of tampering. As long as you dont slap the league in the face with it, it’s impossible to control. Thats why we now have a tampering period for UFAs because it was clearly happening and they couldn’t do anything about it.

 

[kinghock]

Extended Matthews for:
Byfield
Clarke
2024 (unprotected) first.

How about no from Kings point of view.
Matthews proved many times for number of years that he is not difference maker during playoff time.
Matthews with possible 13-15 million contract is Toronto problem to have.

Matthews isn’t an ordinary rental. Keep in mind the team acquiring him will probably want to free up cap space and that means shipping contracts the other way. If you get more than one bidder for Matthews, which you will certainly have, then you can drive up the ask.

Think about Matthews in Chicago playing with Bedard in year 1 of a rebuild. I’m not sure the Hawks could resist that.

Los Angeles would be another prime destination… and they have assets to trade.

LA have assets to trade for Matthews, but no desire to make not needed trade.

 

[abo9]

It is only a framework to be fair. I'm not an LA fan, just think that's the sort of thing that could happen. Leafs get a guy who can score back, plus young C who needs a change plus cap space. The Leafs are likely wanting to send him west (and he'll likely extend with Cali teams) but the west doesn't have many teams who can a) afford his cap, b) have the assets and c) would be willing to part with said assets

No offense but for Matthews, you'd need to give more than "a young C who needs a change"

 

[TS Quint]

If he does not sign.

It’s Matthews at 50% to a contender.

Top Prospect/young NHL player
Picks
A prospect

Toronto is a contender.

 

[Budz]

Toronto is a contender.

They won’t be if they let a top player walk for nothing.

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

No offense but for Matthews, you'd need to give more than "a young C who needs a change"

I did add a 40-goal scorer to that framework. Matthews as a player absolutely gets a haul. Matthews with trade protection and $11m simply does not have the same market as the player's talent deserves. That doesn't mean he's not valuable, it means a lot of teams that would potentially be interested in him will be put off giving up such high assets, making the bidding war a lot softer than it would have been.

If Matthews didn't have his trade protection, he'd get a lot more but the power sits with him in this scenario.

That said, I think the Leafs will end up just paying him whatever he demands because of this scenario.

 

[Crow]

Personally... I don't see Matthews making it to the start of the season without a contract.

The Leafs simply cannot afford to lose him for nothing.... and know that they're almost certainly going to be good enough to not be sellers at the deadline.

General hockey player history also says, if traded, even without a negotiated contract in place, he'll likely sign with the team that trades for him. The team acquiring him will have a pretty good idea of what he's looking for $-wise, and be comfortable in that before trading for him. Most players, as long as it's not a completely crappy destination, are happy to sign as long as they get what they feel they are worth.


As for what the "framework" has to be, at the very least, I'd imagine that it has to include young, bonafide, top 6 centre, with top line upside. I don't think Quinton Byfield or Barrett Hayton quite satisfy that criteria, so the remainder of the package would have to be pretty exciting.

Beyond that, I think you've gotta be looking for 2 other position players that can help -- a left winger with some bite, and a right-side defenceman with some size. If those are more of the "veteran" approach..... then likely add multiple picks as well.

Maybe you can do a 3-way deal with Chicago to retain 50% on Matthews.... something like:

To Toronto:
Kempe
Byfield
Connor Murphy

To Chicago:
Matt Roy
Brandt Clarke
Cal Petersen

To LA:
Matthews at 50% Retained

Not enough for Chicago to take on Petersen and give up Murphy.

 

[dkollidas]

I think it would be something like a super up Eichel trade.

Eichel had the injury issue, but Eichel was signed and had no trade protection.

Matthews is the better player and has had better health although he’s missed time.

So something like…
1st Round pick 2023
+
Top prospect in your system
+
Top-6 young winger or top-4 young d-man
+
2024 1st Round Pick

And then maybe Tor gets a 2nd and sends a 4th the other way

 

[TS Quint]

They won’t be if they let a top player walk for nothing.

So why would they let him walk then?

Why would one contending team pay for a rental but the other contending team not just keep the same player and not pay anything?

 

[Budz]

So why would they let him walk then?

Why would one contending team pay for a rental but the other contending team not just keep the same player and not pay anything?

Matthews said he will NOT before July 1.
That is no Beuno.

If that is his stance, he has to be dealt. Especially with the lack of success in playoffs.

Matthews is the only one I want back, but if he can’t get on board. He’s got to go.

 

[Gillings]

Am I the only (non leafs) fan who would LOVE to see him in Boston. With pasta and company hopefully they get a few more pieces and can contend again soon.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

The most likely scenario is that he gets dealt at the draft… draft picks would certainly be involved. Possibly a top 10 pick with at least one top line player coming back the other way for cap purposes.

Ultimately, you are trading just one year of control with a long resigning window. It's even hard to flip him again at the deadline because of NMC. Matthews has so much leverage. Just a dumb dumb contract. One thing Leafs have is the option to go eight years in a sign-and-trade, Matthews needs the team to make that work. He can probably get $95 M over 7 years as a free agent ($13.57) but make it $100 over 8 and your cap hit drops to $12.5 M. If he wants that extra year, he does need Toronto.

 

[kinghock]

I think it would be something like a super up Eichel trade.

Eichel had the injury issue, but Eichel was signed and had no trade protection.

Matthews is the better player and has had better health although he’s missed time.

So something like…
1st Round pick 2023
+
Top prospect in your system
+
Top-6 young winger or top-4 young d-man
+
2024 1st Round Pick

And then maybe Tor gets a 2nd and sends a 4th the other way

Eichel had the injury issue, but he is better player if you are watching playoffs.
Matthews has no character to play in playoffs with any kind of success.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Am I the only (non leafs) fan who would LOVE to see him in Boston. With pasta and company hopefully they get a few more pieces and can contend again soon.

Honest question as both players legitimate Rocket Richard contenders who passes the puck between these two? Besides Boston doesn't have any room to even re-sign their own players let alone Matthews.

 

[Gillings]

Honest question as both players legitimate Rocket Richard contenders who passes the puck between these two? Besides Boston doesn't have any room to even re-sign their own players let alone Matthews.

I’m dreaming because I just think Boston turns him into an NHL player and not a soft skilled player