Confirmed with Link: Matthews new deal Pt 3

[HamiltonNHL]

Great deal if we consider his skill but it could end up bad if Marner and other players want massive contracts

With the very short term signed, his AAV is at least 1.0 M overpay.
His deal is much sweeter than McDavid.
And he is no McDavid.
His new lack of physicality better dissolve in the post season or this contract is pure trash.

 

[saffronleaf]

Played like a $11.634 player tonight. And those numbers are not in millions.

 

[thewave]

With the very short term signed, his AAV is at least 1.0 M overpay.
His deal is much sweeter than McDavid.
And he is no McDavid.
His new lack of physicality better dissolve in the post season or this contract is pure trash.

1.5-2m over. You're right about the lack of physical play though, sheeh. That was ugly.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I think it was a 2.5 mil aav overpayment

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I wish he'd f***ing sit. Take another month off. I don't care. Just get healthy.

 

[MyBudJT]

I think he's still hurt.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I wish he'd ****ing sit. Take another month off. I don't care. Just get healthy.

I think he's still hurt.

Im just worried he'll be hurt his entire career.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

Get it all out of your systems now. It's that tough part in an elite players career when there are league wide adjustments and all that time and space they had in their first couple seasons disappears.

The trouble is that Matty is dealing with that without the luxury of another elite player on his line to share the load. Marleau is an anchor in those high level matchups at his age. Similar situation with Laine right now, though he's struggling even more.

He is good enough to figure it out, and it means finding that intensity every night no matter how frustrated he is.

Or we could just put Nylander back on his line.

 

[WilliamNylander]

I think he is either playing hurt or playing not to get hurt.

Either way as long as he shows up when it matters...

 

[DanM]

Get it all out of your systems now. It's that tough part in an elite players career when there are league wide adjustments and all that time and space they had in their first couple seasons disappears.

The trouble is that Matty is dealing with that without the luxury of another elite player on his line to share the load. Marleau is an anchor in those high level matchups at his age. Similar situation with Laine right now, though he's struggling even more.

He is good enough to figure it out, and it means finding that intensity every night no matter how frustrated he is.

Or we could just put Nylander back on his line.

McDavid didn't have this issue, Sid didn't, and Matty is in the same salary category. What he is getting paid matters, and he is not cutting it.

I think it is injury.

 

[DanM]

I think he is either playing hurt or playing not to get hurt.

Either way as long as he shows up when it matters...

If he shits the bed in the playoffs this year, with what he is making, he will get hate mail in Toronto lol

 

[horner]

I think he is either playing hurt or playing not to get hurt.

Either way as long as he shows up when it matters...

Playing not to get hurt.

 

[BorntoLose]

He needs a better playmaker on his line

 

[lottster14]

He is most certainly not even a top 5 player in the league, has a juicier contract than McD, so if he's not still hurting he better start working and moving his feet because I can't help but begin to dislike this kid

 

[A1LeafNation]

He needs a better playmaker on his line

11.6m players produce regardless of linemates.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I said after Willie was signed, his 7 mil aav is going to look really good in a year or two compared to other 3

 

[Guided by Veseys]

I can’t wait until he is playing with Bracco. The USA developmental system is very uptempo and based on structure and quick passes. Hopefully Bracco and Matthews can instil some of the skilled team play. I think we are used to the game breaking Canadian style of play and hope Matthews will exhibit that skill; don’t think he is that kind of player though. It’s all quick touches and winning board battles for a player like that

 

[34]

So you're saying Matthews will plateau or regress???

Matthews is one of the best goal scorers in the league. He's as safe a gamble as you can find.

Not sure about that anymore. He looks like trash on the ice. He looks like a no skill floater, zero compete.

 

[ORRFForever]

Playing not to get hurt.

Yup.

The last 2 times off seem to have done a number of his head.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

I said after Willie was signed, his 7 mil aav is going to look really good in a year or two compared to other 3

Willy's contract will look the best value wise in 2-3 years. Maybe as soon as next season. Matthews is definitely overpaid, he's an RFA too which just makes it super cringe. The dollar amount is fine, but not at that term.

 

[jrgtml67]

Babcock needed to put Nylander on AM line tonight now hes going, and Kadri is the problem..that many shots really 0 go in. How bout pass to the guy with the elite shot..idiot. when he threw a hit tonight he just fell ..I'm getting sick of Kadri issue is we have no one better to replace him

 

[Stephen]

Is Matthews supposed to be hurt?

I notice one of the problems he has is when he's forcing a scoring opportunity he'll overhandle the puck but doesn't drive in any real direction with his skating. He sort of hovers in place like he's going to deke out guys standing still (which he does sometimes). When it doesn't work, the opposition can easily swarm him. He also needs to work on his playmaking abilities. He's not really using his teammates in great ways when he's force feeding scoring opportunities.

 

[Diatomic]

Matthews on his ELC -> fantastic player, on mcdavids level, should be the next captain, leaf for life

Now on this overpaid garbage contract he signed people are making a total 360... And I don't disagree.

 

[Stephen]

Babcock needed to put Nylander on AM line tonight now hes going, and Kadri is the problem..that many shots really 0 go in. How bout pass to the guy with the elite shot..idiot. when he threw a hit tonight he just fell ..I'm getting sick of Kadri issue is we have no one better to replace him

There's a very defensive Kadri contingent, but in an ideal world, we have someone similar to what Kevin Hayes was doing for the Rangers tonight who can bring a little something different to the table than another 6'0" ish forward in Kadri's role. Just someone 6'5" 220 pound plus who can drop the shoulder and drive/rag the puck for a while, absorb hits and create a bit of havoc. Hayes isn't a classic power center, but somewhere in the Mats Sundin/Nik Antropov Sky Line days.

 

[Leaf4Life]

Just watched an old highlight of his second career goal (where he made a fool out of 3 Sens in about 5 seconds). Man that seems like the distant past. Can't see him doing that these days.

Not saying he can't turn it around but it's kind of depressing watching that...