News Article: Auston Matthews - August 1st., Contract Crickets

[thewave]

12.5-13m x 4 years lets get it done if he wants medium term. No real choice on this one, the return on a trade will be trash, but if it is an amazing return you could do that too. Not likely though.

 

[ITM]

In other startling discoveries, The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't plan on going down 0-3 to the Panthers. But...Edited to say: Things happen contrary to best intentions and better statements.

 

[LeafLoyalist]

One year left on his contract, anyone thinking he would say anything differently is naive.

If he doesn't sign before July 1 do these words mean anything?

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[GoonieFace]

One year left on his contract, anyone thinking he would say anything differently is naive.

If he doesn't sign before July 1 do these words mean anything?

I’m sure he will sign and take Dubas to the cleaners…again

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

Not exactly. Matthews can't sign an extension yet as per league rules. If Matthews starts the next season without a new contract it would be a similar situation

Ok so in 6 weeks it will be precisely the same situation. But lets be real, the lead up, speculation, conjecture, rumor mill, whatever you want to call it is the same when Tavares was in his 2nd last year. So good for you, you proved your right on the most minor insignificant technicality....arguably.

 

[Legion34]

Well, the video I watched in a twitter link didn't talk about taxes. It only talked about Matthews.

But I'll give you credit for sticking to your guns. The rest of your "Dubas Defenders" group have abandoned the whole taxes argument now that our star players are becoming ufa's and hold all the leverage. Did you miss all of those threads?

When they and other posters and media brought up Nylander and Matthews comparables for extensions, I was VERY quick to play all of your ilks games back at them. Extra millions due to tax differences. Extra millions for "zone entries". Extra millions for "Toronto media pressure". Extra millions because their 5v5 /60 stats are better (still are).

Know what happened? Your group reneged on all of that. Dekes specifically said that he was (lol) "misinformed" about the tax issues during the rfa negotiations and he's learned a lot since then.

So I'll ask you now Legion34. When we take Matthews and Nylanders comparables contracts, do we need to add millions and millions of extra contract dollars for tax differences, zone entries, media pressure, etc? Or are you going to join the rest of your group and abandon all of that?

Other people saying they were misinformed then just means they are misinformed now.

There is no world in the NHL when top players who play in high tax markets who get sb take less than 14% of the cap.

Matthews took 14% of the cap and won 2 rockets and a hart. He got fair value and earned his contract

Nylander got 8. Something percent of the cap which was exactly in line with his comparables. He scored 40 goals this year and is absolutely worth it.

Marner got paid about 1.5 more than he should have.
Even then he is a 99 pt selke candidate first team all star.

All of them performed to their contracts no question. Whether dubas should have pivoted after covid is a completely different question.

The taxes are absolutely the same factor they have always been

6/31 teams have no state taxes. 18% of the league

There has been at least 1 tax free team in the finals in 6 of the last 7 cups.

Super strange that it’s no advantage but such a small portion of the league ends up in the d final

 

[thewave]

This guy gets it. So glad a media guy being blunt.

I’m sure he will sign and take Dubas to the cleaners…again

The organization and partnership between Rogers and Bell is obviously a mess. This is where a top suit should come down and just say we're not happy with the performance. We're going to take a new direction with the team under new management.

Not really hard to do but you can tell they are a mess because they aren't decisive. They just hum and haw.

 

[ITM]

Would we be ok with the same deal as MacKinnon? Basically takes him through his whole prime. Maybe Matthews doesn't go for that and wants another 5 year deal to cash in again at the end.

Interesting offseason ahead.

I'm fine with that term, but it would be very difficult to agree to MacKinnon's dollars. In other years I think I could see my way to bending the principal of the thing...I don't think I would want Dubas or whichever negotiator we have to go past principal this time.

 

[Legion34]

Ok so in 6 weeks it will be precisely the same situation. But lets be real, the lead up, speculation, conjecture, rumor mill, whatever you want to call it is the same when Tavares was in his 2nd last year. So good for you, you proved your right on the most minor insignificant technicality....arguably.

???? Tavares was the captain. Matthews is not. Tavares was on a team that didn’t have an arena. Toronto does.

Did Tavares say it was important to him to get an extension signed before the season?

Also…. There is a whole offseason and trade deadline to become Tavares

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Other people saying they were misinformed then just means they are misinformed now.

There is no world in the NHL when top players who play in high tax markets who get sb take less than 14% of the cap.

Matthews took 14% of the cap and won 2 rockets and a hart. He got fair value and earned his contract

Nylander got 8. Something percent of the cap which was exactly in line with his comparables. He scored 40 goals this year and is absolutely worth it.

Marner got paid about 1.5 more than he should have.
Even then he is a 99 pt selke candidate first team all star.

All of them performed to their contracts no question. Whether dubas should have pivoted after covid is a completely different question.

The taxes are absolutely the same factor they have always been

6/31 teams have no state taxes. 18% of the league

There has been at least 1 tax free team in the finals in 6 of the last 7 cups.

Super strange that it’s no advantage but such a small portion of the league ends up in the d final

So what's fair market value on a 8 year contract for Nylander if he were to sign this summer? Remember to include many extra millions based on zone entries, Toronto media pressure, and especially taxes.

Then do Matthews at 5 years.

 

[thewave]

???? Tavares was the captain. Matthews is not. Tavares was on a team that didn’t have an arena. Toronto does.

Did Tavares say it was important to him to get an extension signed before the season?

Also…. There is a whole offseason and trade deadline to become Tavares

His NMC kicks in 6 weeks from now, not months....

 

[ITM]

And to be clear, our deadline date should be around June 16th. If we're going to move on from any of M&M, we reserve the right to have appropriate time to make the best decision for the club.

 

[thewave]

I'm fine with that term, but it would be very difficult to agree to MacKinnon's dollars. In other years I think I could see my way to bending the principal of the thing...I don't think I would want Dubas or whichever negotiator we have to go past principal this time.

He'll go for 4 years. Still be in prime and GMs will wants some of those years up to 32 and go long again under a higher cap. He is probably one of the smartest players out there TBH.

 

[leafs in five]

waffles you are something else

 

[ITM]

He'll go for 4 years. Still be in prime and GMs will wants some of those years up to 32 and go long again under a higher cap. He is probably one of the smartest players out there TBH.

Certainly the most accommodated.

 

[Legion34]

So what's fair market value on a 8 year contract for Nylander if he were to sign this summer? Remember to include many extra millions based on zone entries, Toronto media pressure, and especially taxes.

Then do Matthews at 5 years.

I would have to look. Unlike you I actually researched the comparables on the last ones….


Last time Matthews had nash. Kovy. Staal toews. Kane malkin. Crosby stamkos on 5 year contracts Matthews fell right in the middle of those.

Nylander had: gaudreau. Pasta. Forsberg etc. on 6 year deals. He ended up right. In the middle.

Marner had rantanen. He was too high


I don’t just spout off about things I haven’t looked into. That would make my dramatically psychotic and inconsistent.

Maybe forsberg. Fiala. Gaudreau may provide some comparables?

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

???? Tavares was the captain. Matthews is not. Tavares was on a team that didn’t have an arena. Toronto does.

Did Tavares say it was important to him to get an extension signed before the season?

Also…. There is a whole offseason and trade deadline to become Tavares

Who said anything about an arena lol nice reach

 

[Enniskillen]

Just PR and words, who needs his injured wrist.

 

[LeafsFan89]

I had some time to reflect on this. I know I am probably in the minority here, but I kind of don't want him tbh. He doesn't dominate the game like he did earlier in his career. Wrist is always "injured". If what Friedman reports is true, he can leave.

The core needs to change, and in 7 years, Matthews has shown he doesn't really show up in the playoffs (less a few games in round 1 this year).

 

[Fogelhund]

What is this narrative about his wrists lol.. it exists in the confines of HF Leaf board exclusively, the guy does not have some chronic wrist condition to our knowledge, wrist surgery and banged up from a season is not the same thing.

We all know about the surgery from 2021.

From this year, articles about nagging hand injuries.

Mark Masters: Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews says he’s moved past injury adversity | TSN

Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews finally turned the page on injury issues that hampered him early this season. Mark Masters has more.

www.tsn.ca

Auston Matthews reveals he was playing through a hand injury but feels like he's back now

An Auston Matthews hand injury, on top of other bumps and bruises in what's been an injury-plagued year, explains a lot.

theathletic.com

The hand issue has been since the start of the season... that should be obvious to anyone who has watched him. He wasn't the same shooter this year, as last. You could just see it in his shot... it just wasn't nearly as accurate, or dangerous... the 17.8% shooter of the last two years, became a 12% shooter this year.

 

[Mentat]

Pretty simple to me.
Either AM resigns with a reasonable AAV + long term (doubtful) WAY before July 1st or we trade his arse for the highest return possible.
We can´t let this negotiation approach July 1st. We just can´t.

 

[ToneDog]

Kyper thinks Matty wants big bucks. Says MacKinnon won a cup and got 12.6. Matty gets no goals in round two, why does he deserve more than Mac ?? Says giving him 11.634 for 5 years instead of 8 has put the Leafs back against the well. It's not like many of us were saying the same thing.

 

[Glacious]

Most players don't decline as bad as Tavares. Stamkos for example is still really good.

Being a bad skater means the decline in the 30s is even more brutal.

Unless you're Joe Pavelski who is significantly older than Tavares, just as slow and somehow still producing at 1st line rate (and doesn't drop off as much in the playoffs). Wonder how he does it.

 

[Squiffy]

We all know about the surgery from 2021.

From this year, articles about nagging hand injuries.

Mark Masters: Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews says he’s moved past injury adversity | TSN

Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews finally turned the page on injury issues that hampered him early this season. Mark Masters has more.

www.tsn.ca

Auston Matthews reveals he was playing through a hand injury but feels like he's back now

An Auston Matthews hand injury, on top of other bumps and bruises in what's been an injury-plagued year, explains a lot.

theathletic.com

The hand issue has been since the start of the season... that should be obvious to anyone who has watched him. He wasn't the same shooter this year, as last. You could just see it in his shot... it just wasn't nearly as accurate, or dangerous... the 17.8% shooter of the last two years, became a 12% shooter this year.

Yes, and that's all as may be, but none of that equals chronic wrist problems. Bugged him this year after surgery in September, sure. Chronic injury, no.