Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] Matthews extended (5 years, $11.63M AAV)

[DomBarr]

and this is saying a lot but the 5 yr term is the worst part of the deal for the Leafs and the best part of it for the rest of the league...at least at 6 yrs Matthews expires at the same time as Tavares..

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Doesn't buy up any UFA years, and only 5 years for 1.63M more per year than Eichel at 8 years. Not a good deal when you compare it to McDavid or Eichel's deals.

Matthews is set for another big pay day when he turns 27M His agents schooled Dubas with this deal.

 

[Advanced stats]

Laugh all you like, but to get your superstar signed and clear his head before the playoffs in a contending year is huge.

To avoid any Offersheeting talk is also huge.

To avoid potential playoff MVP raise? Huge.


All that is worth the 500k overpay, which is debatable anyways

 

[topshelf15]

That bonus structure is bad news for many teams looking to sign players...Jesus,50 mil up front...

 

[Empoleon8771]

Paying Matthews an extra $2-$2.5 million a year is worth getting those 3 extra years of control, so I'm not sure why McKenzie is painting the term as a positive. I would have rather had the 3 extra years of Matthews at a stupid cap hit instead of paying him what he should have gotten on an 8 year deal for 5 years.

 

[biotk]

It is a bad deal.

 

[SI90]

Can we have som e clarification please. Will he be a UFA at the end of this deal?

 

[TOGuy14]

As a Leaf fan:

I love Matthews, kid is legit

That said, I hate this contract.

Seems like Matthews got a high AAV with a sweetheart deal that takes him right to UFA. We lost on both fronts IMO.

If he wanted a five year deal it should have been under 10. If he wanted to touch 12M AAV it should have been for 8 years.

 

[Nick Hansen]

it's awesome actually
most teams giving their players 8 yrs are regretting it

5yrs $11m is perfect

Matthews is 21, and not 28-29 or whatever Kopi and Doughy was when you signed those guys. Major difference.

 

[Auston Marlander]

Nice try. He makes only like 900k less than Mcdavid but 3 less years. Leafs got bent.

His % of the cap for the 1st year of the deal is what matters, and the gap is large then the 900K implies. But hey, you just keep spinning.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I think that more because he plays for a bad team which is also Canadian.

Its still mostly BS. He's obviously pissed about losing, but he signed for eight years when he didn't have to and still says he wants to be part of the solution.

 

[The Podium]

Bad bad deal. Not a fan whatsoever. This has been the first Dubas move I haven’t been happy with.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

remember when all you ***** thought they would walk.

Yes, a board full of die-hard, mostly intelligent hockey fans thought that three RFAs were going to, "Walk".

OK.

 

[Rich Nixon]

no? we lose gardiner... who cares?

I said to make it work, as in, to make an all-around viable contender out of this team for next year. Gardiner walks, but what's the defense? Liljegren comes up, let's say, and there's him and Muzzin and Rielly, and...? If they can trade Zaitsev they will, not sure what a deal there would look like. But one of Kapanen, Kadri, Nylander, or Marner won't be around next year I don't think.

It's interesting. It's not like the team is completely screwed like some hope, it's just going to have to be real clever about who stays and who goes, because either the bottom 6 or defense will be a black hole otherwise.

 

[Liferleafer]

Just brutal...
Stamkos got 11.67% on a 5 year deal which puts Matthews at 9.67M for 5 years.... Would have been a fair contract for both sides. Dubas got bent over big time.

Now tell us about Tampa taxes.

 

[uncleben]

For the record, the majority of Leaf fans hate this deal. Absolutely disgusting Matthews bent over the Leafs and had a good time.

Hope he never touches the C as long as he is in the city.

For the record, this is not how the majority of how Leaf fans feel

 

[member 157595]

There was nothing to negotiate. If someone would pay that much for Matthews, then that's what he can demand (and he did). Elite talents get elite compensation.

This means Matthews + Marner will almost certainly be more than $20M combined, meaning the Leafs almost certainly need to trade Nylander before next season.

I was barking up the trade-Nylander-tree before his contract. Now even more so.

So disappointed. We finally get nice things and we're signing them to contracts that negatively impact our depth.

 

[Puckstuff]

Not happy, Dubas should have forced him to take less AAV if he's only giving up 5 years. I'd say it's a 1 million dollar overpay for 5 years

That's the way I see it.

Would have been happy with 11.6 x 6 or 10.5 x 5.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

Lockout incoming?

 

[780il]

That's disgusting

3 less years than Mcdavid, only around 1m less AAV

Gross

 

[nhlfan9191]

Bought a year

He’ll have played 7 seasons by the time that contract is up.

 

[TOGuy14]

I don't think Edmonton or Buffalo are. What players signed to 8 year contracts after their entry deals have their teams regretting it?

Ekblad?

 

[DanM]

It had to be us, HAD to be the ones to first deal with these unreal, overpaid, inflated RFA's...... no cup for 50 GOD DAMN years, and we finally get nice things, and a steady management group (I thought) but it HAD to be us to set the precedent.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

So now... Marner signs for $12 million?
Can they possibly afford this?

 

[93gilmour93]

I can hear parer being ripped up in the Coyotes office. Must be that offer sheet....

 

[SI90]

Paying Matthews an extra $2-$2.5 million a year is worth getting those 3 extra years of control, so I'm not sure why McKenzie is painting the term as a positive. I would have rather had the 3 extra years of Matthews at a stupid cap hit instead of paying him what he should have gotten on an 8 year deal for 5 years.

He’s right about the price though. Both Tavares and Matthews are elite goal scoring centers.