New Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has already reached out to the agents for center Auston Matthews and winger Mitch Marner, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (video link). He also notes that Toronto’s preference would be to get deals done with both players at the same time but McKenzie believes that the youngsters may prefer to hold off on signing an extension this offseason in favor of waiting until next summer when they are eligible for restricted free agency.
Both players are coming off of strong sophomore campaigns and if they play at that level or better in 2018-19, it stands to reason that their cases for a bigger payday will only be strengthened. There’s little reason to believe that one or both players will regress so betting on themselves certainly makes some sense. Of course, there is some risk here. A significant injury to either player would certainly negatively impact negotiations.
It’s also worth noting that the barometer for big contracts is shifting more towards the percentage of the salary cap over the actual AAV. The Upper Limit has only gone up since being instituted and will probably do so again next summer so if Marner and Matthews are targeting a specific percentage of the cap on their next deals, it should yield a higher amount by waiting.
McKenzie also wondered if Matthews, in particular, may prefer to not sign a max-term deal which is something that notable number one picks including Steven Stamkos and John Tavares have done in the past. Doing so would result in a lower cap hit on his next deal since fewer UFA-eligible years would be bought out but it would also give him the potential to hit the open market in the prime of his career. It’s safe to say that he’ll be keeping a close eye on Tavares in the next few weeks.
We haven’t seen too many prominent youngsters go this route lately as early extensions are becoming more and more prominent. Last summer, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel wasted little time signing a year earlier than they needed to and many expected that Toronto’s top duo would do the same this time around but that may be in question now. Even though those two may not sign right away, the other member of Toronto’s ‘big three’ up front (winger William Nylander) will need to get something done this offseason as he is eligible for restricted free agency next month.
Maybe this is just wishful thinking since I cheer for a rival of the Leafs but there hasn’t ever seemed to be a number 1 pick (recently at least) that’s shown signs that they want out.
Had to look it up, you’re right. Last one I could find that clearly wanted out was Bryan Berard, and before that Eric Lindros. The rest have stuck around with the team that drafted them for quite a while.
After years of listening to Leafs fans talk about how Stamkos and Tavares and Doughty and every other player in the NHL from Ontario is just waiting out free agency to sign with the Leafs, a little “Austin Matthews is holding out for next summers $16 million a year offer sheet from the Arizona Coyotes” talk should be fun.
Wouldn’t the Coyotes have to give up 4 first round picks if the Leafs decline to match that?
Yes they would. And it’d probably be well worth it for the Coyotes if it were to happen.
Depends on if they take the next step. If they are still struggling to make the playoffs it probably isnt worth it. If they are a good tean with Matthews than easily 4 non lottery picks are worth it.
Yes. That’s why it has never happened.
Sure that will happen NOT. The Oilers finished with a 103 points 8th in the league and then Chiarelli traded one of their secondary scorers and really nothing else that you would call of significance and presto they are a lottery team and they finish with 25 points less and drop 15 spots in the standings and it’s nit like they traded a player that you would say was anywhere as good as Hall but 25 points and 15 spots is huge. That being said the Coyotes were 29th in the league this season and what having Matthews on their team without Nylander to feed him the puck is going to move the needle to such a extreme extent that they will jump 14 spots in the standings and make the playoffs. Not going to happen, not even close, Matthews is one player that will be in the ice every 4th shift maybe sooner if there is a PP, or maybe even not as soon if the other team gets a PP, since Auston doesn’t kill penalties. How is this one player going to propel that team up 14 spots into the playoffs, he will not and the Leafs will end up being the Colorado Avalanche in the Erick Lindros trade, they may end up being even better than if they kept Matthews and the Coyotes will struggle with a cap and they will struggle to get players to sign in the desert, this isn’t Vegas there isn’t other attractions in and around the city, LA is not just arm length away it’s Arizona and they have a budget that they must meet so how will the pay other star players to come and play with Matthews, it’s simple they can’t and the cap will not go up next year as much as it goes this year and Seattle will be excepted to do as well as Vegas did and it will not happen. That was a one time in a million and the stars somehow aligned and it happened. The Seattle expansion will not bring the cap up as much as the Vegas expansion. Also a team is made up of more than one player and to use the Oilers as an example they have the greatest player in the world on their team and they have Draisaitl among other good players and they dropped 15 spots in the standings but to pick up those spots is a compleately different animal, going Dow is easy, going up not so much. This $16 mill offersheet is never going to happen. Cheers