Heading into an offseason that promises plenty of big changes, Chris Johnston of NorthStarBets.ca reports the Toronto Maple Leafs top priority is obvious. Johnston writes that signing Auston Matthews to a long-term high-priced contract has to be the team’s number one priority and filling in the pieces around him can come next.
Matthews is now heading into the final year of his current contract after the Leafs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Florida Panthers in five games. Matthews has earned just over $11.6MM per season since his entry-level contract expired in 2019 and is due a raise on that enormous contract. Matthews has a strong case to surpass Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6MM annual cap hit as the highest paid player in the league, but Johnston believes the Maple Leafs need to do whatever it takes to get the 25 year old’s name on a new contract and they are eligible to do that as soon as July 1.
The Maple Leafs have some other huge questions to answer this offseason. William Nylander is also eligible to sign a contract extension as he could be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, like Matthews. Mitch Marner and John Tavares has just two years left on their contracts, but no decision needs to be made on them quite yet. Off the ice, general manager Kyle Dubas is also a free agent as his contract expires on June 30. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has one year left on his contract and the team needs to decide if they extend him, replace him or let him ride out the final year of his deal.
- Also in Leaf Land, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports Joseph Woll will return to the Toronto Marlies next week. Woll was the team’s number three netminder most of the season behind Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, but with both of those goalies injured in the playoffs, Woll started the final two games of the Maple Leafs season. Murray was great for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL this season, posting a 2.37 GAA and a .927 SV% in 21 games. The Marlies are facing elimination after losing the first two games of their Best-of-5 Division Final series and will play Game 3 on Wednesday.
- Speaking of Toronto Marlies goaltenders, Dennis Hildeby was returned to the AHL earlier today per the AHL transactions page. He was called up after Samsonov’s injury and served as the Maple Leafs third string, in case of emergency goalie in the final few games of the postseason. The 21 year old played most of this season in Sweden’s SHL with Farjestad and was the Maple Leafs fourth round pick in 2022.
Yeah, they’re not in a great position. Matthews is a young superstar who’ll command a Brinks’ truck, and if they let him walk, the fanbase will march on the team offices with torches and pitchforks.
As against that, they only have seven NHLers under contract for 2024-25.
If Matthews want to win a cup anytime in his career he’ll sign an 8 year 80 million contract so they can fill out a roster. He’s going to make way more than that in endorsements etc if they win a couple of cups.
If Auston wants to winna cup his best chance is testing the open market.
Mathews camp will drag there feet on an extension in Toronto much like Tavares did before he left the Isles, Mathews will be playing for a U.S. team the season after next, Likely in the Southwestern U.S.
Mathews said he wants to play with Bedard.
No way the leafs let him go, much less him wanting to sign with the Blackhawks.
It’s his call. Leafs have little leverage other than an extra year (8th year)
Bedard and Korchinski will draw a lot of FA interest the Hawks way. Hopefully more than Seth Jones contract pushes away.
Mathews is a free agent after next season. He can tell the Leafs he won’t sign an extenion. The Leafs can do nothing about that. It is Mathews decision, not the Leafs
Having watched the whole Panthers series, as someone who does not normally watch the Leafs, I am not quite sure how anyone could argue for extending Matthews at market rate. He was invisible that entire series. Florida’s defence played incredibly well, but a superstar worth $12M a year has to be good enough to overcome.
I hate to lean into a cliché, but I don’t think the Leafs have a sustainable model being so top-loaded with star contracts. The team needs a rebuild. I actually recommend trading Matthews for a ransom, and invest in a strong pool of lower-cost secondary and supporting players.
The Leafs don’t need a rebuild. Retool? certainly. agree that Matthews was non-existent against Florida.
if the Leafs get the sense he isn’t willing to resign, or is looking for 12.5+ he should be moved.
Retool is probably the more apt term. I think Tavares, Marner and Nylander are a sufficiently strong core. If you move Matthews for assets that represent a 1B or 2nd line, I think Toronto is a better team for it. I could see a team like NYR making that trade – a team that has assets worth trading, but is desperate for some playoff success.
Someone proposed Matthews to Calgary too… I like that trade a lot. Huberdeau plus a package of supplementary players maybe.
But you know which one feels right to me? Winnipeg. Dubois, Scheifele, and another piece – two players that want out, and would instantly make Toronto scary for reasons other than its cost of living. Budget could be a barrier here, but I think it could be a win-win.
Matthews won’t sign an extension with either Calgary or Winnipeg. So they would be giving up quality players for a single season of AM.
Oh, and I thought Woll played amazing in that series too. Small sample size, but he kept Toronto in every game he played.
Go to dump Tavares for some youth on low cost contracts
“We will take him!”
Said no team
Los Angeles would be another destination for him ALOT of youth and prospects for the kings to use…
agree. mentioned them as a suitor yesterday. closer to home but a big market and team with ammo to make a deal happen
Blake won’t give up prospects unless AM agrees to an extension first. And even then, why wouldn’t he just wait for AM to be a free agent? Better to have Clarke, etc. AND AM than just AM.
why do many teams trade for good players a year out? you want to convince them that’s the place to be with a full season. go to FA and any number of teams can get involved
That isn’t how Blakes works.
Matthews is going to Cali. Trade him:
Anaheim – mcTavish plus 1 st pick in 23 (maybe try to squeeze Luneau in as well)
LA – Clarke, Danault, Byfield, plus 24 1st, 25 2nd (or Vilardi)
SJ – Hertl plus 23 1st, Kunin
As a Sharks fan, I do not want Matthews. I want a proper rebuild, not 2010s Edmonton.
I can see that. Although AM is only 25 years old and has another 10 years left. Probably 7 good ones. Maybe taking back Vlasics horrible deal will help? Leafs can buy him out after.
It’s actually interesting to examine the Sharks of 5-10 years ago versus the Leafs, because there’s a lot of parallels. Both are talented, skilled teams that rely heavily on the cycle game to score. Both consistently choke in the playoffs. Both roll 1-2 stacked lines but have a weak bottom six.
Compare that to the Panthers, a team that finished 18th in the league but is dominant in the playoffs – strong neutral zone game, tight defence, aggressive power forwards.
For the Sharks to rebuild properly, I think it takes a new identity. For years, the Achilles heel of the Sharks was not only a lack of depth, but some utterly baffling decisions to include bottom-six forwards and bottom-pair defencemen that actively hurt their team every time they were on the ice with poor defensive play – Colin White, Torrey Mitchell, John Scott, the list goes on. Part of that was salary cap pains, but those pains come from a model that relies on skill over a complete game.
Pavelski, Thornton, Marleau, and at his time, Cheechoo, were all absolute Legends. But it was the bottom of the depth chart – and bad to mediocre goaltending from Nabokov, Toskala and – perish the thought – Niemi and Jones – that denied San Jose a Cup.
Toronto has exactly these same problems. History repeats.
There is no motivation for LA to give up all of that. All they need to do is wait a season and give him a huge contract.
I wouldn’t make that trade if I was LA. Can’t see them including Danault in the deal. He’s too valuable with his 2-way play
Now that is some funny stuff! Luke Kunin as a key part of a trade for Auston Matthews? You don’t seem to be aware that both teams must agree on the terms of a trade.
Well if it was 1 for 1 you’d be correct. But as my post said, Hertl (who is 29/30 years old making $8 mill/yr for another 4 years I believe) plus the 4th overall pick. Kunin is more a Bunting type player and good for the 3/2 line. Also 26 I believe. Hertl is also a very sold 2 way centre.
can’t see SJ giving up 4 and Hertl for AM. that’s just confusing. if you want to go for it, you keep Hertl. If you rebuild, keep #4.
This is the problem with handing out too many huge contracts to a team’s stars. Eddie Olczyk’s take on the Kraken’s success this year was telling: that because of the way the expansion draft was structured, the Kraken’s top six couldn’t better many teams in the league, their *bottom* six pretty much trumped everyone else’s. It’s absolutely the case now that a team’s success is solidly based on its stars taking below-market contracts.
Good points. But I think AM is young enough to go through a small rebuild. Number 4 is a crapshoot and Hertl is older and not as good offensively as AM. SJ still has a lot of vets and can compete if they want to. Especially with AM. Anyway. Just my thoughts.
Possibly he is. But why would he *want* to? He’s got a full no-movement clause through the end of this next season. After that he can sign wherever he wants. Preeminent superstars in the prime of their careers, like Matthews, don’t HAVE to take an offer from a rebuilding team. What’s his incentive to waive his full NMC for anything less than a serious, right-the-heck-now, Cup contender?
His NMC kicks in July 1. He can be moved before then. Even so, he can approve a trade anywhere he wants afterwards.
AM wants to be in Cali and SJ fits that.
… he does? He’s stated openly that he wants to stay in Toronto, and is seeking an extension from the Leafs.
Can we say the Leafs choked now? Still too soon?
too soon? you are about 30 years too late
Its hard to be a leafs fan.
The Leafs are in the same situation the Hawks were in when they paid Kane and Toews, only the Hawks had 3 Cups to look back on. They’re in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t conundrum.
He will look nice in Union Blue.
How is it that people can’t spell player names correctly after reading an article about that player?