Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] F Auston Matthews signs extension with the Maple Leafs (4 years, $13.25M AAV)

[FriendlyGhost92]

Crosby has never had the highest cap hit in the league.

I was talking about cap percentage, but you're right. Ovechkin beats him there.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Because he signed on a lower cap, but that’s not what the poster said.



And that’s what I did.

Then you argued they never won a Cup. Where did you ask for that?

If you can't see the point being made by bringing up that they never won a Cup, I can't help you lol.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't think Matthews will be better at age 30 than age 25

I don't think Matthews will have more value at age 30 than age 25

I don't think Matthews without a NMC at age 30 will have more value than a pending UFA Matthews at age 25, who has all the leverage

The cap would have to go up a very significant amount for him to get a raise at the end of this deal. I think you and some other posters in here are being extremely naive if you think he will have more leverage, bargaining power and value at the end of this deal, vs now.

Let's just assume he continues to produce at the same level at age 30 for arguments sake. Are you going to pay him the same amount he got at age 25?

Ideally I wanted a 6 year deal here, it's usually after 32 ish for forwards where the decline begins, but locking him for his prime is a win. But I'm really having a difficult time understanding the logic behind paying him more when he's older, like unless there is a massive jump in the cap, it doesn't make any sense. Unless there's some idiot GM who wants to sign an older star player to a long term big money deal (Dubas and Tavares)

I think you're too focused on whether Matthews will be a better player, when the reality is teams rarely worry about that when signing UFAs. Look at Tavares. He was "better" at age 23 when he finished 2nd in Art Ross scoring and was a Hart finalist. That didn't stop the Leafs from giving him a $5 million raise on his previous contract at age 28 in free agency. They didn't think he would be getting "better" as a player at age 28 and beyond, but because it's free agency there's going to be overpay (in their case massive overpay).

Matthews currently is close to a lock to score 50 goals per season. When he's 31 and beyond, maybe he's "only" a 40 goal scorer. But that drop in production isn't going to prevent teams desperate for offense from offering him more money than what he just signed for if he's available. That's literally never been the case. Hell, if Crosby was a free agent this past summer and if he wasn't obsessed with #87 and just took the highest offer, he probably would have signed for more than what he was making on his last deal even though he's clearly not as good as he was at age 26. That's free agency.

 

[Channelcat]

Nylander is going to be a superstar.......somewhere else.

 

[Divine]

If you can't see the point being made by bringing up that they never won a Cup, I can't help you lol.

You’re missing the point that it wasn’t because of their contract they didn’t win a Cup.

McDavid and Draisaitl haven’t won Cups and you’re arguing they have great contracts. Explain why the contract didn’t automatically equal a cup?

 

[LongWayDown37]

I was talking about cap percentage, but you're right. Ovechkin beats him there.

Its the same thing, they're all working off of the same cap.

 

[AvroArrow]

I think you're too focused on whether Matthews will be a better player, when the reality is teams rarely worry about that when signing UFAs. Look at Tavares. He was "better" at age 23 when he finished 2nd in Art Ross scoring and was a Hart finalist. That didn't stop the Leafs from giving him a $5 million raise on his previous contract at age 28 in free agency. They didn't think he would be getting "better" as a player at age 28 and beyond, but because it's free agency there's going to be overpay (in their case massive overpay).

Matthews currently is close to a lock to score 50 goals per season. When he's 31 and beyond, maybe he's "only" a 40 goal scorer. But that drop in production isn't going to prevent teams desperate for offense from offering him more money than what he just signed for if he's available. That's literally never been the case. Hell, if Crosby was a free agent this past summer and if he wasn't obsessed with #87 and just took the highest offer, he probably would have signed for more than what he was making on his last deal even though he's clearly not as good as he was at age 26. That's free agency.

I think that's all teams really worry about when signing UFA's to deals especially long term deals. If there's any organization that has learned from that mistake, it's Toronto and it's the reason why we had a GM change.

Again, maybe I'm in the minority but I don't think a 34 year old Matthews will be worth 13.25M and I am extremely confident in saying he will not get a raise UNLESS there is a massive rise in the cap.

I get what you're saying about 8 years etc. But that would be diminishing returns, he's not going to be worth $13.25M at age 34.

 

[TheNumber4]

Draisaitl will be cashing in soon enough. He has been underpaid for years and likely won't let that happen again. He will have Edmonton over a barrel. Imagine what it would say to McDavid about winning if he bolts a year before he is up? Stay tuned for that.

Draisaitl won’t need to put Edmonton over a barrel. Oilers gladly will pay him what’s he’s worth and what it takes to keep him around. Same with McDavid. Blank cheques.

 

[AvroArrow]

Matthews makes too much - if the goal is to ice a team that can win a cup.

So what is the cut off number that a team can spend to win a cup ? 12.6M or 12.5M ? That's the difference between being able to ice a cup contender vs not ? 700K is too much more ? Or are Edmonton/Colorado not able to ice a cup contender ? Is Toronto not able to find another steal of a contract like they did with Bunting, who got a 4M raise ?

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

You’re missing the point that it wasn’t because of their contract they didn’t win a Cup.

McDavid and Draisaitl haven’t won Cups and you’re arguing they have great contracts. Explain why the contract didn’t automatically equal a cup?

You're the one that used them as examples, not me lol.

Because Ken Holland is a shit GM lol.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Nylander is going to be a superstar.......somewhere else.

They will love his double flamingo!

 

[Legion34]

Is matthews not 1 slash away from his career ending?

And are GMs of other teams only in place to better the leafs?

Leafs dont want the "post-prime" years of Matthews at age 30 season.

Yet some team will give a haul for him and then sign him to a monster deal?

That doesnt make sense to me.

He either proves hes a top 5 game breaking player this deal and we give him 8 years 15M as a thank you for his success and a cup hopefully

Or he fails to be the expected level, we get put R1 and R2 again and then he walks as a UFA getting 10.5M x 7 or 8 with a new team who can still get 4-5 years of 85 pt 1C at 11-12% of the cap

Dont see any scenerio where he gets dealt with 1 year left on his deal

Huh?
I have said this for a long time. Well prior to the signing.

He has been injured for 3 years. They will never let him go for nothing. That would be a disaster.

I have said for years that he may want out after breaking the goal record. If so. Sign him then trade him

Leafs fans are living through Tavares 7 years (which isn’t terrible) and wishing it was shorter.

This isn’t new

If he isn’t staying. Trade him at 29.

 

[Divine]

You're the one that used them as examples, not me lol.

Because Ken Holland is a shit GM lol.

Yeah, you’re right.

The controversial goal Calgary was disallowed in the Stanley Cup series clinching game was because of Iginla’s contract.

You’ve made some solid points here.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

So what is the cut off number that a team can spend to win a cup ? 12.6M or 12.5M ? That's the difference between being able to ice a cup contender vs not ? 700K is too much more ? Or are Edmonton/Colorado not able to ice a cup contender ? Is Toronto not able to find another steal of a contract like they did with Bunting, who got a 4M raise ?

If he was paid 10 million it would still be too much. Everyone in the NHL even on a bad year can score 40 goals as a young solid Center

Get with the program dawg

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

Nylander is going to be a superstar.......somewhere else.

He’s already a star … hate to break it to you .

 

[LongWayDown37]

So what is the cut off number that a team can spend to win a cup ? 12.6M or 12.5M ? That's the difference between being able to ice a cup contender vs not ? 700K is too much more ? Or are Edmonton/Colorado not able to ice a cup contender ? Is Toronto not able to find another steal of a contract like they did with Bunting, who got a 4M raise ?

In my opinion they have not yet been nearly good enough to win a cup to date and Matthews just pulled significantly more resources into an existing asset. Its pretty simple. There isn't an individual player threshold. They are way top heavy between he and their other top forwards and have never been able to balance their team out. This makes it worse.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Its the same thing, they're all working off of the same cap.


Matthews makes too much - if the goal is to ice a team that can win a cup.

Cap % was used mainly to gauge contracts signed in difference years.

For instance, Matthews has the highest cap hit ever, but it's not the highest cap % ever. Technically, Ovechkin's 19% contract was the highest cap % ever. (As you corrected)

Reason I brought up cap % specifically is because people seem to sometimes have a hard time understanding that $9.5M then is not the same as $9.5M now. $9.5M now would suck up just over 10% of the cap.

 

[D Wakaluk]

Last couple of seasons was not bad luck. The Leafs deliberately went with really cheap goalies to be able to afford their expensive forward core ( and they're doing it again next season ) and those more often than not will blow up in your face at some point.

I know. I was kidding.

Some leaf fans actually believe they just got goalied and are happy with the way things are. As the years go by, they seem to be in the minority though

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Yeah, you’re right.

The controversial goal Calgary was disallowed in the Stanley Cup series clinching game was because of Iginla’s contract.

You’ve made some solid points here.

Dunno what to tell ya bud. You're the one who used two Cupless players to justify Matthews' contract.

 

[Divine]

Dunno what to tell ya bud. You're the one who used two Cupless players to justify Matthews' contract.

Yeah, because you moved the goalposts.

How about Bergeron when he signed a 3 year contract at Matthews age? Was he Cupless too?

 

[Rude Dog]

Draisaitl won’t need to put Edmonton over a barrel. Oilers gladly will pay him what’s he’s worth and what it takes to keep him around. Same with McDavid. Blank cheques.

So it is really no different for Mathews. Leafs paid him what he is worth on the open market. Not what hf boards perceived value of him is. I have no idea if Draisaitl is happy long term in Edmonton. Money may not be enough. If it can happen in a nice city south of you...

 

[3ladesof5teel]

In my opinion they have not yet been nearly good enough to win a cup to date and Matthews just pulled significantly more resources into an existing asset. Its pretty simple. There isn't an individual player threshold. They are way top heavy between he and their other top forwards and have never been able to balance their team out. This makes it worse.

Hence making the changes they did.

Bertuzzi should slot in just fine and be a difference maker.

I think they did ok this off-season and are positioning themselves nicely. Still a lot of teams need work.

Let it play out.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Cap % was used mainly to gauge contracts signed in difference years.

For instance, Matthews has the highest cap hit ever, but it's not the highest cap % ever. Technically, Ovechkin's 19% contract was the highest cap % ever. (As you corrected)

Reason I brought up cap % specifically is because people seem to sometimes have a hard time understanding that $9.5M then is not the same as $9.5M now. $9.5M now would suck up just over 10% of the cap.

Thanks professor. If he never had the highest cap hit in any particular year, logically he would never have had the highest cap %.

 

[AvroArrow]

In my opinion they have not yet been nearly good enough to win a cup to date and Matthews just pulled significantly more resources into an existing asset. Its pretty simple. There isn't an individual player threshold. They are way top heavy between he and their other top forwards and have never been able to balance their team out. This makes it worse.

Tavares has 2 years left, trades are still possible, 18M coming off the books in the summer.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Hence making the changes they did.

Bertuzzi should slot in just fine and be a difference maker.

I think they did ok this off-season and are positioning themselves nicely. Still a lot of teams need work.

Let it play out.

Fine. None of that means that Matthews contract is appropriate. Its a selfish contract.