Auston Matthews Reveals the ultimate sacrifice He Will Do for the Maple Leafs to Win

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James Connelly
June 28, 2023 (8:17)

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Details of Auston Matthews' desires for his next contract show that he is not being as selfish as the public is making him out to be.

Matthews Contract Desires Revealed

Many rumors circulating have said that Auston Matthews will likely be paid in the $13 million range which is a record-shattering cap hit. However, despite this being an unheard-of value for an NHL player, it is more than fair for Matthews.

On SN590, NHL insider Frank Seravalli shared some of Matthews' wants for his next contract with the Leafs.

His next contract is not about setting a record, it's not about getting 4x$15M.

He wants to win and he needs to find a spot that pays him appropriately and gives the Leafs room to go out and make moves.

The $15 million cap hit is an unthought-of value for NHL teams but Matthews could be the first player to get that type of money if he hits the open market. However, Matthews is willing to take a roughly $2 million per year pay cut which shows he wants to win with the Leafs.

He also does not want to make the mistake Connor McDavid made in signing a large contract early on and having total earnings cut based on teams paying more for top players.

Nonetheless, Auston Matthews will be the highest-paid NHLer after next year as he deserves to be. However, it will not be an overpay but rather a contract that is fair to his value as a player.