Massive Details Emerge regarding Matthews' Upcoming Contract

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Julien Trekker
June 7, 2023 (9:46)

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The whole Auston Matthews situation in Toronto is probably the most important thing on Brad Treliving's list.

He's their best player, and the Leafs absolutely want to keep him. However, he's going to be the highest-paid player in the league. Can Toronto even afford him?

Matthews to Sign a Short-Term Contract?

On TSN's First Up yesterday morning, Carlo Colaiacovo and Aaron Korolnek discussed this issue.

"He's put the money in the bank to set his family up for a long, long time. For him, he can look at shorter deals. It leaves flexibility for him to not get locked into a bad situation.

If the cap keeps going up and up and he remains a top player in the game, that'll be beneficial for him financially. I'm not going to say an 8-year deal can't happen, but it doesn't seem likely. He's more inclined to take something in the mid-range, whether that's 3, 4, or 5 years.

It's in the Leafs' best interest to get him signed as long as they can because of what he means to the Leafs, and Shanahan has said in the past he would like some of these guys to be lifelong Leafs. So the Leafs will pitch him on an 8-year deal, but I think it'll be a tough ask at this stage because he's already made that money, and no one knows how much the cap is going up."

In essence, Matthews would benefit from a short-term contract, and the Leafs would benefit from a long-term engagement.

Who'll Win?

At the end of the day, Matthews holds the upper hand. If he's not happy with what the Leafs have to offer him, he'll just play somewhere else.

Of course, the Leafs want to sign him for many years, but if Matthews doesn't want that, he'll have to compromise. Maybe he won't get a full NMC. This reasonable sacrifice wouldn't be too big to make.

If the Leafs offer him a short-term contract, let's hope they'll have time to succeed in the playoffs.

The negotiations haven't started yet, but there should be some new developments to report before July 1st when his NMC kicks in.

As reported on Maple Leafs Daily -
Insider reports Matthews could be eyeing a very short extension in Toronto