Rumor: Matthews and Leafs discussing contract (mod post #605)

[DistantThunderRep]

Bridging doesn't help the overall costs in future years. I can't see Matthews who is about to his life changing contract "will take one for the team". Why should he?

Future growth, its not like I'm saying he takes 2 million on a bridge. Let him take 7 on two years. Gives the Leafs more flexibility. If they stay competitive, he can make more money later. Unless there is some massive injury or concussion fear with him that I'm not aware of?

 

[BM14]

comfortable getting swept?

The guy is a scrub. Let him live in his little world. He has a decade of beatings by TML in his future.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

8 x 12 isn't unreasonable.
Tavares and Mathews are going to eat up 25% or more of their cap. Elite talents to be sure, but hockey is a team sport, and that team includes more than just offense.

He won't get 12 I can't see him getting more than Tavares

 

[BatVader]

My bet goes on 8yrs at 11M per
Matching Tavares.
I don’t think he’ll accept a penny less and I don’t think the leafs will offer a penny more.

 

[bossram]

I love how HF sometimes says Matthews isn't a top 15 C and then other times says he should settle at the 2nd highest RFA contract amount

I'm not in that category. I think Matthews is easily a top-15 center. He's in the top 15 centers in terms of points-per-game, and accomplished that with much less ice-time of anyone else in that group.

In his RFA stratosphere, pretty much the only other names to compare to are Draisaitl, Eichel and McDavid. Where he falls in that range is TBD, but IMO he is better than Eichel.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Tavares is from the Toronto area, Of course it made sense for him to come home. Just like Trouba coming home to Detroit in 2020.

Tavares came home because the Leafs are a contender, Detroit is not the situations aren't the same

 

[A1LeafNation]

You do understand the difference in taxes between Toronto and Tampa right?

Let's turn this into a 50 pages discussion on tax law.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Getz cups: 1
Tavares + matthews: 0

Playoff round wins would be a good 1 too

Two words: Randy Carlyle.

 

[McYoungGuns]

He doesn't seem like the type to try to gouge Toronto. If he wants Toronto to win, he might take a bridge. Would help the franchise get some more pieces to win. The problem that may arise, is that his contract will give a rough idea to Marner and Nylander what they are worth to the team. The higher Matthews signs, the higher Marner and Nylander come in. So hopefully he does the team a solid and doesn't take a "Hometown discount" like McDavid did and pretty much aim for max contract.

he did take a discount, it comes with being the best player in the league and he's also won back to art Rosses at 21 years old, only one other person in the history of the game has done that. You even uttering Matthews in the same sentence as McDavid is insulting to McDavid

 

[WesMcCauley]

Rfa deal vs ufa deal.

Remember this staff negotiated the Rielly and Kadri and Andersen rfa deals too.

Eichel got 10... Makes no sense for Matthews to take less

 

[A1LeafNation]

Eichel got 10... Makes no sense for Matthews to take less

Buffalo has to pay extra to keep players in...well...Buffalo.

I think they call it the Buffalo tax.

 

[Notsince67]

Let's turn this into a 50 pages discussion on tax law.

Lets
When it comes to taxes, athletes better off in Canada

 

[rent free]

I’m pretty sure he’d still be an RFA at the end so why would he even bother?

He'd be arbitration eligible. That's why he'd bother.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

He'd be arbitration eligible. That's why he'd bother.

Didn’t know that. If he feels like the Leafs are trying to low ball him it’s possible, but why risk another injury plagued season that could lower his value when he could probably guarantee himself $9-11 million a year for 8 years now? Unless he believes he’s worth more, in which case then I’m all for the Leafs being stingier in negotiations.

 

[34]

Could we see Matthews push for a one year deal?

LOL No.

 

[Starat327]

FYI ballparks:

Nylander 7x7 expiring 2025
Marner 7x7 expiring 2026
Matthews 8x10 expiring 2027

But wait, i thought Toronto had to pay MORE for their good talent because of all the taxes? Was there a recent athlete tax break in Toronto that would allow them to sign below market deals?

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

I have this feeling that the leafs will drop all three of the kid's contracts in the news at once...

Dubas prepared for the Tavares signing, with Gilman and Pridham, running through many scenarios.

“We went through a very stringent process internally where we went through [our cap situation] over and over ... to ensure that, regardless of different variables that may interject themselves into this process as it goes along, that we’re going to be able to keep that core of our team together.” —Kyle Dubas


The "big three" and Gardiner are the "variables" that he mentioned.

 

[Paralyzer]

8 x 12 isn't unreasonable.
Tavares and Mathews are going to eat up 25% or more of their cap. Elite talents to be sure, but hockey is a team sport, and that team includes more than just offense.

What? You mean being top heavy isn't good enough? But...that's what everyone in Leaf town keeps telling me...huh.

 

[A1LeafNation]

But wait, i thought Toronto had to pay MORE for their good talent because of all the taxes? Was there a recent athlete tax break in Toronto that would allow them to sign below market deals?

Read article above.

 

[rent free]

Didn’t know that. If he feels like the Leafs are trying to low ball him it’s possible, but why risk another injury plagued season that could lower his value when he could probably guarantee himself $9-11 million a year for 8 years now? Unless he believes he’s worth more, in which case then I’m all for the Leafs being stingier in negotiations.

He'd go to arbitration if he feels as if the leafs are low balling him, like you said. I think the injury scenario you mentioned wouldn't come into consideration when it comes to settling his new contract. He could sign bridge deals like trouba and then extend for long term/go to free agency quicker. I think it's unlikely he does either scenario though. Eichel got 10 million after missing 21 games and he is a comparable situation to Matthews because he missed a sizeable amount of games in his sophomore season and is a franchise center.

 

[Legion34]

If the cap goes up to 82 million in 2019-2020 the leafs can easily fit

Gardiner at 6
Willy at 6.5
Matty at 11
Marner at 7.5

While keeping marleau. If he goes they have more space. Really the only thing that might happen is one of Johnson, Brown, kappy or Hyman goes.

After that cap crunchwe have tons of space.

 

[waitin425]

If the cap goes up to 82 million in 2019-2020 the leafs can easily fit

Gardiner at 6
Willy at 6.5
Matty at 11
Marner at 7.5

While keeping marleau. If he goes they have more space. Really the only thing that might happen is one of Johnson, Brown, kappy or Hyman goes.

After that cap crunchwe have tons of space.

If you are Nylander's agent do you think Matthews is worth nearly double than your player?

The challenge with the Leafs is negotiating each of these contracts individually and without the influence of the other contracts. I think the value will be something like.....

Matthews 8 x 10.25
Marner - 7 x 7.5
Nylander 7 x 7.5

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

If the cap goes up to 82 million in 2019-2020 the leafs can easily fit

Gardiner at 6
Willy at 6.5
Matty at 11
Marner at 7.5

While keeping marleau. If he goes they have more space. Really the only thing that might happen is one of Johnson, Brown, kappy or Hyman goes.

After that cap crunchwe have tons of space.

Best of luck on those deals for Nylander and Marner.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Matthews will for sure get more than Tavares. My guess is 13M or 14M AAV for 8 years. There is no way he settles for less. I could even see him asking for 15M AAV. It's going to be ugly.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Matthews will for sure get more than Tavares. My guess is 13M or 14M AAV for 8 years. There is no way he settles for less. I could even see him asking for 15M AAV. It's going to be ugly.

Lol here we go.