Friedman: Leafs and Matthews discusing extension?

[Confucius]

wrong thread sorry

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I know Dubas is young, but I expect he's not so inexperienced that he would sign Matthews for less than 8 years so he can overpay Nylander, is he?

I mean I think if the plan was to overpay Nylander he would be in the lineup right now.

 

[varano]

8*15.5

no.... 8 X 27.5

 

[Spirit of 67]

I listen to NHL Network Radio all the time and they have a regular guest named Doug Honegger.

Anyway, he was saying the Matthews camp is open and flexible. They're looking for something that's fair and workable for both sides in terms of money. In terms of length of contract, he was saying that the Matthews camp will work with the Leafs to get the big contracts staggerred.
Sounds like this will be a big nothing burger in terms of drama.

Offer sheet, LOL.

 

[seanlinden]

Objectively... a 5-6 year deal isn't the worst idea... it's worked pretty well for Rielly & Kadri.

Here's why:
- Let's say, that Matthews signs a 5 year deal, taking him to unrestricted free agency. He'll be a UFA at age 26, 6 years from now. Tavares, at $11m, would be a reasonable benchmark for how his negotiation would go, with obviously having 6 years worth of inflation. The deal that he signs, likely in the neighborhood of $16m / season.

If he signs an 8 year deal, those "last 3" years are worth about $48m. In signing an 8 year deal, we do of course have to look at McDavid, Eichel, etc. Personally, I think McDavid is a better player, and the Leafs will struggle if they sign Matthews to a contract that is the exact same as McDavid's for 7 out of 8 years of it. That being said, I can see Matthews demanding the exact same contract -- 8 years, $100m.

Dubas can agree to the concept of him being worth the same contract as McDavid; without having to agree to terms -- citing the fact that he wants to build a stronger team around him. IF you take the final $48m out of the deal, it becomes a 5 year, it becomes a $10.4m deal. That gives the Leafs an additional $2m worth of flexibility, to potentially win a cup in the next couple years. Yeah, there's a notion that you don't mess around with your star player contracts and you find somewhere else to save, but there's also the realization that nobody else has $2m worth of negotiating room.

This is exactly what Chicago did with Toews & Kane after their ELC deals.

Furthermore, from a practical perspective, consider this. It's 5 years down the road, the Leafs have won 2 cups with Matthews having earned just over $50m in the last 5 years. Does Matthews need to strike gold on a 7-8 year deal at $16m? or does he look at the situation and say "I'd like to continue winning, and I'll take $13 or $14m over the next 7-8 years to remain in Toronto and do so.

 

[King Woodballs]

Hope he gets signed 8yr x 15 per

I don’t understand why the leafs wouldn’t want him signed for 8 years

 

[Leaf Fans]

Hope he gets signed 8yr x 15 per

I don’t understand why the leafs wouldn’t want him signed for 8 years

Is that the same deal the Jets offer Laine? I hope Laine signs first as we can use him as a comparable.

 

[seanlinden]

Hope he gets signed 8yr x 15 per

I don’t understand why the leafs wouldn’t want him signed for 8 years

Because they want to be able to demo teams like the Winnipeg Jets, who for the next 6 years have Scheifele at $6.125, Ehlers at $6m, Wheeler at $8.25m, and Little at $5.3m. Even if you add Laine at $10m, the total is $35.7m. Yeah, the quintet of Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, Kadri is better, but if they spend $45m doing so, it's going to be a problem.

 

[King Woodballs]

Is that the same deal the Jets offer Laine? I hope Laine signs first as we can use him as a comparable.

According to the talk g hockey heads Mathews is way better than Laine. So Laine will only get 10

 

[LeafFever]

According to the talk g hockey heads Mathews is way better than Laine. So Laine will only get 10

Well he is obviously way better. I am confused how anyone can argue otherwise.

 

[Face Of Bear]

Because they want to be able to demo teams like the Winnipeg Jets, who for the next 6 years have Scheifele at $6.125, Ehlers at $6m, Wheeler at $8.25m, and Little at $5.3m. Even if you add Laine at $10m, the total is $35.7m. Yeah, the quintet of Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, Kadri is better, but if they spend $45m doing so, it's going to be a problem.

Exactly. Cap value is just as important as talent in todays NHL. If you price yourselves higher than your rival star-players, you can bet that they'll probably have a better team around them. You can demand as much money as you want but the more you go over the average your rivals make, the more you're shooting yourself in the foot competition-wise

 

[yababy]

This is difficult to understand. Why on earth would the Maple Leafs allow him to get to unrestricted free agency in just five years?

Because it's better than waiting until next summer with the potential for an Arizona offer sheet at 15m

 

[LeafFever]

Because it's better than waiting until next summer with the potential for an Arizona offer sheet at 15m

That's really just fantasy. There is no threat of Arizona.

 

[yababy]

Next summer the RFA compensation for four first rounders would be about 9.5m. So Leafs would have to offer at least 9.5m or else Matthews would be "offer sheeted". Leafs don't to risk losing him for less than four first rounders. But the salary and term mark will partly be set by what Matthews wants in term and if there is a opportunity for an offer sheet, not so much on past historical salaries.

Naive post...matthews isn't signing for anywhere near as low as 9.5

 

[Mckay]

That's really just fantasy. There is no threat of Arizona.

Kypreos and his fearmongering.

 

[LeafFever]

Kypreos and his fearmongering.

Arizona is broke and can't win. Suddenly they ill give the richest contract in history? They are cheating the cap every year by not actually paying the cap floor. No one cares though.
Tavares joined his hometown team because he could win a cup. If the Leafs were like Arizona he would not have even met with them.

 

[Brobust]

Is that the same deal the Jets offer Laine? I hope Laine signs first as we can use him as a comparable.

Why would they use Laine as a comparable?

Auston Matthews is more impactful in every aspect of the game.

 

[yababy]

Yeah I don't see player or agents agreeing to the "no one gets paid more than McDavid" rule.

It wasn't that way for Crosby so why would it be different now. The cap inflates and salaries inflate along side that.

Crosby was a big dufus for signing such a budget contract so he could win Cups. Who cares if it elevates you to legend status? Take the money and run

 

[LeafFever]

Naive post...matthews isn't signing for anywhere near as low as 9.5

I agree. But saying eh'll go to Arizona is more naive.

 

[POVERTY]

Matthews' power will only continue to grow. Dubas recognizes this and the obvious move is to lock up the GOAT before he becomes the GOAT.

 

[Whileee]

I mean I think if the plan was to overpay Nylander he would be in the lineup right now.

It's a matter of degree of overpay...

 

[TheBeastCoast]

It's a matter of degree of overpay...

And what degree of overpay are the Leafs going to give Nylander? Maybe I am missing something but I don't quite get your point. It is pretty obvious to me that the Leafs aren't intending on over paying Nylander period.

 

[justafan22]

Friedman said they'd match any offer sheet on his podcast this week.

 

[justafan22]

I agree. But saying eh'll go to Arizona is more naive.

He might go to arizona once he's 30+. I doubt the coyotes can afford the richest offersheet on NHL history.

 

[LeafFever]

He might go to arizona once he's 30+. I doubt the coyotes can afford the richest offersheet on NHL history.

The Coyotees can't afford the current cap floor.