Brad Treliving Finally Reveals Why He Only Signed Auston Matthews For Four Years

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James Connelly
August 25, 2023 (6:51 PM)

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Brad Treliving has spoken with the media for the first time since signing Auston Matthews to his record-breaking extension.

Treliving Signs Matthews For Four Years

On Wednesday Auston Matthews signed the most expensive per year contract in NHL history.

Carrying an AAV of $13.25 million per year, Matthews will count more against the cap than any other NHL player. While this is fantastic that the Leafs extended Matthews, he is only signed for 4 years, half the maximum amount of years he could have signed for.

Treliving Opens Up As To Why It Was Only Four Years

Treliving was quite content with signing Matthews to this deal.

"You're talking about one of the world's best talents. And in the situation he was in, he could come in and demand a whole lot more than what he got. And that's just the reality.... To me, it was a partnership more than it was a negotiation."

When asked point blank why it was only four years, Treliving offered quite a thought out response.

I'd go back to that word I used earlier, «balance.» You're absolutely right.

A guy once asked me, on a contract I was working on, «Are you close?» I said, «Yeah, we are getting there. There are only two issues We just got to figure out the term and the money.»

That is all there is in these contracts. Two things: term and money. They're intertwined. To me, we found that balance there.

You have to look at the landscape we are in. You have to look at the player. Where is the cap going? We all think and hope there is growth and significant growth over the next while.

It's about trying to find that balance where it all fits and works for the player and you can continue to have flexibility to build around our best player. It works hand-in-hand. We just felt throughout this process that we landed on a spot where there was balance � balance in the number of years.

This contract is a big contract, but I remember his last one, too. People thought, «What is going to happen after?» We will deal with that when the time comes, but he just signed another contract.

Auston reiterated throughout the process that he is committed to the team. He is committed to the city. We landed on a spot that felt right and worked for everybody.

It is good to see how content the two sides are with the deal. Getting Matthews under contract was certainly the Leafs' number one priority and now they can comfortably move on to focusing on other extensions like William Nylander's and eventually Mitch Marner's.