Speculation: Something is wrong with Matthews...

[blue stick]

His shot hasn't been hitting the net for sure, hopefully his accuracy improves. Other than that I have seen no visible evidence he doesn't want to win.

 

[Leafblooded]

The optimist in me is thinking he's going to coast to 50 goals this year and ramp his game up to last year's level as we get closer to the playoffs. He's been good so far, but hasn't hit that upper level of dominance we saw last year

Which I'm largely fine with as long as come playoff time he has a monster run. He has the ability to takeover a series and win it on his own. It's time to have that kind of performance

The optometrist in me sees disappointment

 

[Coaches Coroner]

He sometimes has slow starts, including last year. Some of y'all acting brand new.

 

[Jojalu]

So if he asks for 20%, you are going to give it to him ?? Seriously what has he done to deserve a higher percentage of the cap than McDavid? Some fans are acting the same way the Leafs did shitting their pants thinking an OS was coming for Matty.

I am hoping he has figured out that he can't do it alone and gives the Leafs a good deal. If not, I see us going down the same rat hole with him and Mitch. Said it before, I would rather trade him than give him a blank cheque. Time for the Leafs to show some onions when it comes to negotiations with the big boys, whoever the GM is.

He hasn't. But thats not how contracts work. All top tier players constantly sign bigger contracts and leapfrog over each other.

So Mack got paid, then Matthews will, then McDavid will get more than Matthews. Especially if the cap goes up as expected.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Gents Matty's shot in camp was up over 5% in speed over last years speed gun test data .. and he has zero injuries .. he is also now back to his playing weight last year .. folks you are gonna see him light it up very soon .. he can and will carry team on nights when he decides he wants to do it

 

[Fogelhund]

Gents Matty's shot in camp was up over 5% in speed over last years speed gun test data .. and he has zero injuries .. he is also now back to his playing weight last year .. folks you are gonna see him light it up very soon .. he can and will carry team on nights when he decides he wants to do it

Hopefully he decides to soon. Going from the current 4% 5v5 shooting, to last years ~14%, will make a big difference for this team.

 

[ToneDog]

He hasn't. But thats not how contracts work. All top tier players constantly sign bigger contracts and leapfrog over each other.

So Mack got paid, then Matthews will, then McDavid will get more than Matthews. Especially if the cap goes up as expected.

Agreed question is how much more than McD and Mac should he get ?? Mac took 100K more than McD, does Matty take $100K over Mac ?? Doubt it. IMO 16% of the cap should be the max for Matty. That would be 13.5m if the cap rises to 85m.

Given he will be given most of the money up front every July 1st, that also has to count for something.

 

[VanW27]

The 'something' is being out of shape.

The last few games he's looks like he's basically played himself into shape so should start rolling now.

 

[TheShape]

There are a handful of players in the league who can command blank cheque money and Matthews is one of them. He'll get whatever number he wants from whatever team he wants. That simple.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Hopefully he decides to soon. Going from the current 4% 5v5 shooting, to last years ~14%, will make a big difference for this team.

No idear why but if i was guessing he likely had some kinda issue in late summer which prevented him from coming to camp in top shape .. da days of guys, when I played, coming into camp 10-20 pounds heavy are over nowadays .. guys don't use camp as a means to get into game shape anymore .. although who knows with guys who have huge contracts and really what could anyone do about it .. pretty much nothing da Leafs could do except expose issue to public which does not serve team well long term for having him resign with us .. but overall i prefer teams where there are not huge gaps in wages between guys .. not only can teams sign more good players but you don't have lower line guys looking to top guys to make it happen every night .. you can't help those issues as they occur everywhere in life .. and trying to figure out what guys, like MAC, who really don't give a r*ats *ss about da $$$ cause they live same lifestyle as before they made it big are rare .. but a GM has to really understand how top end guys think about $$$ .. guys who are loyal and team focused beyond all else who really only want Cups are guys GMs need to draft/recruit .. you want to take best player but??????????? .. i hope Matty stays with us long term and i think Leafs will pay him more than any other team because they can

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

With the way the Pens are playing, Matthews probably takes the lead in the Rocket race after tonight.

 

[therealkoho]

How dare he sit on the top of the team for points. Give me more bitches who play through a slump at a 94 pts per season pace.

If Matthews doesn't find his giddyup Mitch will have a problem hitting 94, maybe they should have him skate with JT, that way he'll break 100 going away.

 

[therealkoho]

He’s getting whatever contract he wants in Toronto. Unless the team chooses to go in a completely different direction and he’ll be traded but I don’t see that happening.

Yeah but only if Dubas still has the job, if the Leafs win a SC then even a new GM might give him the crazy deal, if they don't win it all, instead of looking down the barrel of a crazy deal, you ask Matty where he'd like to go and try to make your best deal and restart the rebuild with all the new future you can get for him.

 

[Mickey Marner]

With the way the Pens are playing, Matthews probably takes the lead in the Rocket race after tonight.

Leafs play up or down to their opponents. It'll be a close game.

 

[therealkoho]

Agreed question is how much more than McD and Mac should he get ?? Mac took 100K more than McD, does Matty take $100K over Mac ?? Doubt it. IMO 16% of the cap should be the max for Matty. That would be 13.5m if the cap rises to 85m.

Given he will be given most of the money up front every July 1st, that also has to count for something.

IF he leads the team to a SC championship then yes, if that doesn't happen why would you think he needs to be rewarded?

If it's for a Rocket or a Hart while nice trophies to have, they mean jack squat if you don't get that big silver one at season's end.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

The 'something' is being out of shape.

The last few games he's looks like he's basically played himself into shape so should start rolling now.

cant help but worry about all the partying he must do in the offseason considering the company he keeps. guys like seguin and price lived like rockstars and it impacted the longevity of their primes. I sense a similar streak in matthews. he's got good parents though, which helps.

 

[Jojalu]

Agreed question is how much more than McD and Mac should he get ?? Mac took 100K more than McD, does Matty take $100K over Mac ?? Doubt it. IMO 16% of the cap should be the max for Matty. That would be 13.5m if the cap rises to 85m.

Given he will be given most of the money up front every July 1st, that also has to count for something.

Great opportunity for him to change the narrative of how some people choose to view him.

It would be great for the Leafs if he took 100k more than Mack.

I am curious to know how much pressure the NHLPA puts on guys to sign max deals but with what he has already made he doesn't need to break the bank

 

[Menzinger]

So if he asks for 20%, you are going to give it to him ?? Seriously what has he done to deserve a higher percentage of the cap than McDavid? Some fans are acting the same way the Leafs did shitting their pants thinking an OS was coming for Matty.

I am hoping he has figured out that he can't do it alone and gives the Leafs a good deal. If not, I see us going down the same rat hole with him and Mitch. Said it before, I would rather trade him than give him a blank cheque. Time for the Leafs to show some onions when it comes to negotiations with the big boys, whoever the GM is.

Regardless of what we as fans may want if Matthews expresses a desire to sign a new deal, MLSE is going to give it to him. And they won't hire a GM who actively would want to tarde him. (If he doesn't want to sign an extension that's an entirely different situation). I don't think the same policy would apply to the rest of the core.

Personally I don't think he's going to demand the technical max. He'll definitely get the leagus highest aav at the time it signs, but even during his post ELC negotiations he didn't push for the max either - he ended up getting less of a cap % than Malkin did for example.

But yes, id happily re-sign him to a massive contract even if it leads to a readjustment of the roster. He's the only player on the team whose 100% irreplaceable.

 

[Azail]

Regardless of what we as fans may want if Matthews expresses a desire to sign a new deal, MLSE is going to give it to him. And they won't hire a GM who actively would want to tarde him. (If he doesn't want to sign an extension that's an entirely different situation). I don't think the same policy would apply to the rest of the core.

Personally I don't think he's going to demand the technical max. He'll definitely get the leagus highest aav at the time it signs, but even during his post ELC negotiations he didn't push for the max either - he ended up getting less of a cap % than Malkin did for example.

But yes, id happily re-sign him to a massive contract even if it leads to a readjustment of the roster. He's the only player on the team whose 100% irreplaceable.

We (the fans and Leafs GM) will have to take into account that he will get what he wants elsewhere if it is not in Toronto. If he wants the max, our GM can't just be a hardass and say no. If he is just chasing money, there will be many teams that will give him a max deal.

The Leafs only hope is he wants to actually stay in Toronto, which might lead to a discount of some kind. MLSE will probably write a blank cheque not only because he's a hell of a player, but also because he generates a boatload of revenue for the organization.

 

[therealkoho]

cant help but worry about all the partying he must do in the offseason considering the company he keeps. guys like seguin and price lived like rockstars and it impacted the longevity of their primes. I sense a similar streak in matthews. he's got good parents though, which helps.

good parents?

His father helped him in covering up the "mooning" incident in order to protect the contract, I wouldn't exactly call him a paragon of virtue.

 

[Aashir]

He doesn’t look dangerous, I definitely would not give him blank check, rather deal him

 

[34]

Matthews is 100% done playing in Toronto. He will be traded after this season, take that to the bank. He is as good as gone already.

He wants nothing to do with Toronto or the country of Canada. He has made that as clear as day, the same way that Kawhi Leonard did when he left the Raptors to go home to Los Angeles.

 

[Anthrax442]

he played better with his old 'stache..

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I don't know what his issue is but he's been underwhelming for what we expect of him.

 

[34]

I don't know what his issue is but he's been underwhelming for what we expect of him.

He wants out. He wants a trade.