Matthews contract for the money to the Maple Leafs
Toronto — When Brad Treliving was introduced as the 18th general manager in Toronto Maple Leafs history on May 31, the 53-year-old made it clear that getting Austin Mathews Signing a long-term deal was at the top of his to-do list.
“We are talking about a player who is among the elite in the world,” he said during his introductory press conference at Scotiabank Arena. “Getting to Auston is a priority.”
After eighty-four days, he proved himself true to his word.
On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs He announced a four-year, $53 million contract With Center of Excellence, a deal starting next summer that will keep him in the Toronto Blue and White through the 2027-28 season.
Does it come as a surprise? of course not. Despite rumors that the Scottsdale, Arizona native would be looking for a new hockey home somewhere in the Sun Belt once his current contract expires at the end of this season, the 25-year-old made his intentions clear while cleaning out the locker day three months ago.
“I really enjoy playing here,” he said at the time. “It’s a real honour.” “My goal is to be here. I think I’ve said that before how much I enjoy playing here and what it means to me, the organization and my teammates and how much I enjoy being here.”
After giving the talk, Matthews walked the rally on Wednesday. In fact, he couldn’t contain his excitement, sending a heartfelt tweet several minutes before the official email from the Maple Leafs announcing the signing.
He couldn’t wait to send a message to the fans. So the Maple Leafs scooped up the ad.
“I feel fortunate to continue this journey as a Maple Leaf in front of the best fans in hockey! I will do everything I can to help us get to the top of the mountain. GLG! #LeafsForever,” tweeted Matthews on his @AM34 account.
Video: Matthews signs a 4-year contract with the Maple Leafs
There’s no doubt that Matthews had to deal with culture shock when the Maple Leafs drafted him #1 in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Toronto Hockey Aquarium had the kind of omnipresent spotlight it wasn’t exposed to during Toronto’s junior hockey days. or during his one-year stint with ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A in the 2015-2016 season.
But as time went on, there was an appreciation of how much the city and the team’s supporters loved the game. Now, instead of shying away from notoriety, he’s learned to embrace it, a change that was evident for the captain of the Maple Leafs. John Tavares.
“His maturity and the way he has developed since coming here is very impressive,” Tavares said on Wednesday. “He wants to be here.”
In the end, it’s a contract that works for both sides.
When the contract begins next season, the average annual value of $13.25 million will likely make him the highest-paid player in the NHL. For the kid who scored 299 goals before his 26th birthday and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player in 2022, he deserves a big payday.
At the same time, the new contract gives him an annual raise of $1.61 million from the current cap of $11.64 million, which is easy to digest for the Maple Leafs who know the salary cap is expected to go up next summer.
It’s possible Leon Drystel And Connor McDavid Both Edmonton Oilers could surpass that figure in their next contracts. Matthews knows that. His agent, Judd Moldaver, took over to represent McDavid this summer when his former agent, Jeff Jackson, left to become the Oilers’ chief hockey operations officer.
Matthews is well aware of the salary landscape in the NHL. And he was fine with the deal he got.
For the Maple Leafs, it’s not tying them up in an environment of cover that will soon mount up. Perhaps they would have preferred to have a longer term in the deal such as an eight-year contract upfront Nathan McKinnon I signed with the Colorado Avalanche last summer but apparently both sides found a compromise: Toronto with Term, Matthews with AAV.
Give Treliving credit here. There was a lot going for him when he took over from Dubas, and he’s done a great job of putting some of the pieces in place before training camp opens next month.
Matthews, who is just entering the pinnacle of his career, however incredible it may sound, has been locked away until the age of 30. Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi And Ryan Reeves Bring more sandpaper to the lineup. Smooth defenseman John Klingberg He must assist with power play, although his defensive struggles are a concern; And Martin Jones He was brought in deep in goal behind Ilya Samsonov and Josef Wall.
Of course, the question remains William Nylander, whose contract, like that of Matthews before him, expires at the end of the 2023-24 season. Like Matthews, he has expressed his desire to stay with Toronto.
“There’s nowhere else I want to play, but I still have one more year left,” Nylander said said Tom Golletti of NHL.com During the European players’ media tour in Stockholm on Wednesday. “I don’t understand why there is such a rush to do something now. I still have another year to go.”
Treliving is well aware of this. Now that Matthews’ contract is in the books, focus can now turn to the 27-year-old.
All the while, Leafs Nation breathes a sigh of relief when they learn that the team’s center of excellence is under contract for the next half-decade.
