NHL insider predicts Auston Mathews' next contract

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Tom Banks
August 22, 2023 (7:31 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been busy all summer long, but with two contract extensions looming for Auston Matthews and William Nylander, there's still plenty left for them to do.

Leafs top star

While Nylander is important to this team, it's Auston Matthews who has been the Leafs best player since his arrival back in 2016, and with one year left on his deal, they're seemingly making an extension a major priority.

After 62 goals in 2021-22, Matthews still excelled despite injuries a season ago, so both parties know that any extension won't come cheap. According to one NHL insider however, we know exactly what the framework of a deal looks like.

A short-term deal

Many expect a long-term, rich deal for Matthews' next contract, but according to Howard Berger, the deal that has been laid out for both parties is four-years for $52 million, giving Matthews the chance to hit free agency again early in his career while making him one of the highest paid players in the league.

It's not clear yet when a deal could be made, with neither party rushing to get it done before training camp, but if the Leafs make this move, it will signal their intent to stick with the core four (or at least three parts of it) in their hopes of leading the team to a Stanley Cup.

As Read on Hockey Patrol - Insider Reveals Auston Matthews' Contract