The Toronto Maple Leafs are in win-now mode, and they have been for the past five seasons. Although the regular seasons have been great, they have not done anything where it counts, which is in the playoffs. With all their talent, they have difficulty finding the depth that helps teams get through the hard grind of the postseason. One reason they can’t get the proper depth is the high salaries of the top four players, pushing them to the cap limit. One way to relieve that pressure is to either trade a high salary or try to find a team-friendlier deal for one of them when their contract is up for an extension. Auston Matthews is on the verge of having his contract extended: could he offer a fair value to help Toronto achieve its goal?
Matthews Could be the Highest Paid Player with New Contract
Matthews is a former Hart, Richard, and Lindsay Trophy winner for being the MVP of the league and the top goal scorer. He is also a solid two-way center who has captivated Maple Leafs’ fans since he was drafted first in the 2016 NHL draft. A five-time 40-goal scorer and Maple Leafs’ record holder for most goals in a season with 60 in 2021-22, Matthews has put himself in a position to be one of the greatest Maple Leafs ever to play the game. He is the face of the franchise and adored by fans; it would be wild not to think he wouldn’t be a lifetime Leaf. This is why an extension is crucial for general manager (GM) Brad Treliving to get signed soon. The issue is Toronto has all four of its top players needing new contracts over the next two seasons, and all four will want a raise higher than their already massive contracts.
Matthews could become the highest-paid player in the NHL. The current highest-paid player in the NHL is the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon, who has an AAV of $12.6 million. It’s safe to say that Matthews will get paid at least the same, if not more than MacKinnon – he will at least want the same or more. It could be argued that he shouldn’t get more based on the fact that MacKinnon has won a cup and has had four seasons of 90 points or more, while Matthews has had only one season over 90 points. Matthews, however, isn’t the primary point producer for the Leafs: he is a finisher, and his goal totals speak for themselves. Matthews is also a career 1.1 point per game player (PPG), while MacKinnon is a 1.07 PPG player. Their stats are pretty much the same, so why shouldn’t their salaries be pretty much the same as well?
Even With Raise in Cap, Maple Leafs Need More Room
If Treliving wants to keep his core four together, he must create more cap room. He will also need more cap room if he wants to put the proper depth the team needs to get through the playoffs they will also need more cap space. This is the issue that Teliving has with this team. Does he sacrifice the core four to improve the depth, or does he keep the top four players and hope he can fill the depth with cheap players like the Maple Leafs have been getting for the past five or more seasons? The cap is rising next season by $1 million and projects to raise again in 2024-25 by another $4 million; this will help Treliving a lot, but not if his top players want huge raises.
Related: How a Matthews Short-Term Deal Could Benefit Maple Leafs Late
If the top four work with Treliving to get acceptable contracts but still leave room to sign better-depth players, it would be a tremendous win for the organization. With three of the four already being paid over $10 million and William Nylander rumoured to be asking for $9 million on his next contract, there has to be a give somewhere. It’s easy for a fan to want a player to take a team-friendly deal; fans want to keep their top players but also want to win. It’s not easy for a top player to take a team-friendly deal when they see other players of equal or lesser value or production get paid big money. A balance has to be found that satisfies both sides and still gives the team a chance to win.
Matthews’s Contract is Key to Maple Leafs Moving Forward
Matthews is the key player of the core four that Toronto will need to sign, then see what they have left for the other three. Mitch Marner and John Taveras still have another year after next season before they approach free agency. Nylander’s contract will depend on the asking price and whether he could be moved for a more affordable piece or pieces. Matthews has the right to ask for at least the same as MacKinnon, making him the highest-paid player, but it would only be a raise of $1.6. Matthews’ agent will have to determine if that’s enough of a raise or if they would want $14 million or more.
If Matthews wants to stay in Toronto and win a cup, he should be satisfied to match MacKinnon’s salary or go slightly over it. This would be a massive win for Treliving and the company if they can sign Matthews to an extension; whether it’s short-term or long-term would be irrelevant. This would also leave room to sing Nylander to at least something close to the asking of $9 million, which is a comparable asking price for his talent if you look at Pierre-Luc Dubois’ contract.
Unless Treliving breaks up the core four, the only way the Maple Leafs will be to afford the quality depth is if they all take some discount or lesser contract when they need to be extended. This doesn’t mean less money, just not a huge pay raise, and if you look at the contracts of the other top players in the NHL, a huge pay raise probably isn’t needed for any of the core four. There is still hope that Treliving can keep the core four and finally build a winner.
