August 24: Similarly to his last contract, Matthews’ extension is paid out mostly in signing bonuses. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of his deal, which includes a full no-movement clause.
2024-25: $775K salary, $15.925MM signing bonus
2025-26: $775K salary, $14.425MM signing bonus
2026-27: $900K salary, $10.18MM signing bonus
2027-28: $900K salary, $9.12MM signing bonus
August 23: The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed Auston Matthews to a four-year contract. The financial details of the deal were not originally reported by the club, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Matthews will be making $13.25MM AAV, making it a four-year, $53MM contract extension.
For one season, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche will hold the honors of being the highest-paid athlete in the game at $12.6MM AAV; however, the season after, Matthews will take the crown. Now that Matthews is signed for the next five seasons in Toronto, he will become an unrestricted free agent at 30 years old after the 2027-28 NHL season.
In one of the most important orders of business for new General Manager Brad Treliving this summer, the Maple Leafs have locked up the most significant player to their core. They have infamously struggled in their mission to lift the Stanley Cup, but Matthews has earned his fair share of medals up to this point in his career.
Last season, in what was considered somewhat of a down year, Matthews scored 40 goals and 45 assists in 74 games, finishing third on the team in scoring. More importantly; however, is that Matthews was fundamental in Toronto being able to win their first playoff series since the 2003-04 season, scoring five goals and six assists in 11 games.
The season prior, Matthews had one of the best seasons in the salary cap era, scoring 60 goals and 46 assists in 73 games, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and the Maurice Richard Trophy. Only Connor McDavid, Steven Stamkos, and Alex Ovechkin have been able to score 60 goals in a single year since the 2005-06 NHL season.
Aside from the personal awards, the main goal of Matthews and the Maple Leafs is to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967. Given his play, Matthews likely could have asked for — and received, more on this contract, but Toronto’s salary cap table will only tighten with this deal. With this contract now factored in, the Maple Leafs will have around $30MM in cap space next summer but will have to retain or replace players such as William Nylander, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, T.J. Brodie, John Klingberg, and Ilya Samsonov.
It was well known that Toronto was pressed hard against the cap this season, but with teams now knowing that the Maple Leafs will have limited financial flexibility for at least the next two seasons, this might spell the end for Nylander’s time in Toronto. Given that Nylander is seeking around $10MM on his next deal, it might benefit the Maple Leafs more to recoup some assets and create more cap space rather than having $45.15MM tied into four forwards for the 2024-25 season.
Nevertheless, this appears to be a solid outcome for Toronto altogether. It is likely that the team would have liked to sign Matthews to a max term eight-year extension, but having Matthews in general extends the team’s window for however long he is on the roster.
By signing short-term, high AAV contracts, Matthews will likely go down as one of the highest-paid stars in the game for his generation. Once this extension comes to its conclusion, Matthews will have made a touch over $122MM altogether, before he even hits 31 years old.
Matthews is one of the best goal-scorers in the game and one of the best players to ever wear the blue-and-white. However, especially for the Maple Leafs, Matthews will ultimately be judged on whether or not he can break the organization’s curse, and once again bring Lord Stanley back to Toronto.
Should of been longer but I would say it’s front end loaded lots of signing bonuses… he feels bad for willy and wants him to stay..
Habs fan here. Smart on Matty as in 4 years the cap will be much higher. The Leafs need to figure out a way to get ride of JT or find a way to though it out and get Nylander resigned. I think in the end Nylander gets traded and it end up hurting leafs more in the long term.
It’s common knowledge that cap is going to skyrocket in the next 2+ years this is Matthews holding the leafs over a barrel
Why because he wants to get paid? What’s so wrong with that?
Common Toronto L
Underpaid.
Short term deal because he has one eye on Arizona. If the Coyotes stay in the Phoenix area, they’ll have their new arena by then. In addition. In 4 years, the Coyotes will be cup contenders as they have a plethora of young talent. #34 then bolts. You heard it here first.
Do you know this for a fact? Or just beating the old “he’s from arizona” drum? Because it’s a old beat that keeps getting played over and over
Something else Arizona has is a lot of peyote mushrooms. I’d advise that you lay off of them, myself.
Yeah, just like “old beat” that predominantly comes from Canada that the Coyotes are moving.
I fly commercial jets for a living, so obviously I don’t do drugs. Arizona will likely win a cup before the absolute joke of a franchise Maple Leafs ever do. Hell, it only took Vegas 6 years.
I don’t think Canadians give a crap about the coyotes lol never once have I had a convo in any circle on what the coyotes are doing lmao
Actually I don’t think anyone cares what the coyotes are doing, they have never won anything, never even been relevant other then a fluke season, they don’t even have an arena my man, if you fly private jets for a living please land somewhere other then Arizona and watch a game at a real arena….you will have a good time
Coyotes are 4 years away from being 4 years away.
It’s almost like you believe that you are an insider. It wasn’t so long ago that you and your clan were babbling that Steve Stamkos would leave Tampa for a big contract in Toronto based on nothing more than him being from Toronto. Seems that you goofs are cutting and pasting the same stuff, the only changes being the name of the player and the teams involved.
MAybe I do have connections? Ever cross your mind? As for Stamkos I have never said he was coming to Toronto, or even thought it. As for my “clan” are you naive in thinking all leaf fans think alike?
As for my opinion on the cap you don’t have to be a insider to be able to read cap friendly do you? Be able to see we have 7 d and 13 forwards on the roster and they have done the same thing for the last several seasons? It’s common sense. Listen save your leaf hatred for some other uneducated fool, if you gonna come my way at least come with a intelligent argument that can have a open back n forth there doghockey, otherwise take your hatred for the blue n white elsewhere
Now that I think about it I domt even know if you were talking to me. Phr needs to make it clear in the notifications who u actually respond to lol if you were talking to me I said my peace….if not well then my bad, I will take my beer and just go sit down now lol
You don’t have connections. That said, it is fun to watch you pretend that you do. Please keep posting!
Never said I did, but glad you know me so well from my posts, I will keep posting thanks for permission
You should make a post other then knocking others opinions
Au$tin Matthew$. ;)
Do they have enough money for Nylander?
No
And how many playoff victories
Mathews will end up in Arizona or perhaps in California after the deal is up especially if the frustration in Toronto continues.
That’s what people said last time lol
Please share your inside information!!!! If you don’t have any inside information, please share with us the goofy synapses in your brain that help you to make up stuff! Thanks
AM34 is a dollar signs > Cups type of guy
You and your clan babbled the same thing about A. Ovechkine and many others until they won a Cup. Then you shut up and moved on to the next guy.
Booooooo
They better hope he scores 60 for next 5 years probably he scores 60 in one of them…
Nice!! Finally got it done. I figured the deal was always gonna get done but until its signed you never know. A 4 year deal is smart for him, he can sign another big contract in 4 years, he is maximizing his money. For the people who are gonna say oh he should take a home team discount. 1. This isn’t his hometown
2. Why? So we have a better “chance” at Winning? He wants what he is worth, as we all do in life. Good for him he’s earned it.
Real question is now is what’s the next move? The team as it stands now needs work, there are a lot of question marks, for me the blue line being the biggest, you cannot go into this season with this blue line and expect to win. Nylander situation needs to be resolved, Nylander has showed in the past he doesn’t mind waiting until the last minute, that can’t happen, either he takes a deal or you move him, matthews was probably holding up a Nylander deal so now that they are done with Matthews let’s get it done
The next move is to get bounced again in the first or second round because it’s not a well rounded team.
Good for him is exactly right – it is very very good for him.
Sadly, it’s terrible for everyone else involved. Except fans from the 31 other teams who are laughing at the leafs not learning from their mistakes XD
At this rate they will get bounced in the 1st round, they aren’t at all a well rounded team, but I like the forward group a lot more then I have in the past. Goalie and defense not so much.
But all 31 other teams fans probably are laughing at the leafs, cause it’s the leafs.
Nylander for Pesce and a 1st
Canes 1st, Liligen or Timmens, Lafferty for Travis Konecny
Assuming the first trade comes with extensions for both, it seems like a good fit and fair value. Canes might have to add Drury or another B tier prospect.
Canes are not giving up a top pair defenseman and a 1st for a really good winger. Let’s look at things from the other teams perspective when making a trade proposal. And this trade would still have the leafs over the cap limit.
Leafs definitely can’t take on more Cap you right there, but we aren’t really over the cap as of now. It’s like 2.3 mil they are over which 1.25 can get buried in the minors so small tweaking of the roster ( placing someone on waivers during camp) has them compliant. They have been over by a bit for the last few seasons going into camp and are comfortable with placing someone on waivers with the risk of losing them.
If they were to acquire pesce I would think they would then be looking to move on from brodie
Johnny, once again you don’t seem to be aware that both team must agree on a trade. That said , you are fun to watch!
This guy lol only comes on to knock others opinions but never has one. Keyboard warrior man keep up the fight!!
Did Pasta’s 61 goals last season not count towards the players able to score 60 goals in a season?
Was wondering that myself.
With that, it’s hard to fault Toronto for the deal. Matthews would’ve made at least that much on the open market, and four years insulates them somewhat against major injury woes. You have a consistent, young superstar who regularly gets Selke votes and is the face of the franchise, a failure to tie him up would’ve been an admission of defeat.
I’d like to once again thank Sidney Crosby for being born in August and for being very superstitious.
Paying your core as if they won the Cup before they win the Cup has not worked thus far…
Mathews has to score sixty this season because the current lineup isn’t a playoff team.
Man… Is he worth that money? Probably. Is this contract going to fuck Toronto’s ability to build a championship team? Absolutely.
I don’t completely hate it, but if Willy gets somewhere around $9M, they are beyond cash strapped for two years and totally locked into whatever they have. Neither Marner nor Tavares are getting traded in their final year and the expectation is that Tavares would re-sign for about half of what he makes now, which is great value.
Fair deal for both sides.
I’m Canes fan, so I am looking at it from that perspective. Thanks for the help, though.