Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
Auston Matthews isn’t going any place.
The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ manage heart signed a four-year, $53 million word of honour extension in the course of the 2028 season Wednesday. The brandnew pact starts when Matthews’ wave five-year do business in runs out in July.
At $13.25 million according to season, Matthews turns into the NHL’s perfect paid participant in the case of annual price, surpassing Nathan MacKinnon, who’s averaging $12.6 million on his eight-year word of honour with the Colorado Avalanche.
“I feel fortunate to continue this journey as a Maple Leaf in front of the best fans in hockey!” Matthews posted to social media simply sooner than the extension went population. “I will do everything I can to help get us to the top of the mountain. GLG!”
I think lucky to proceed this travel as a Maple Leaf in entrance of the most efficient fanatics in hockey! I can do the whole lot I will be able to to aid get us to the manage of the mountain. GLG! #LeafsForever
— Auston Matthews (@AM34) August 23, 2023
Matthews, 25, has been an elite play-driving ahead for the Maple Leafs since he used to be drafted Incorrect. 1 general in 2016. He’s a two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner (in 2020 and 2021) because the NHL’s manage purpose scorer, posting 299 targets and 542 issues in 481 regular-season video games — with any other 22 targets and 44 issues via 50 postseason tilts
He tallied career-best totals in 2021-22 with 60 targets and 106 issues in 73 video games, an output that earned him a Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award because the NHL’s Maximum Significance Participant.
Matthews already has located himself neatly a few of the Leafs’ all-time franchise leaders, fasten for 5th in targets scored and 2d with 9 time beyond regulation targets. He additionally leads the NHL in targets scored since 2016-17 and is eleventh general in issues.
The Scottsdale, Arizona, local used to be because of transform an unrestricted separate agent for the primary while July 1.
Matthews has scored 45 extra targets than any alternative American-born participant in NHL historical past via seven seasons, in step with ESPN Stats & Knowledge.
Toronto’s newly instated normal supervisor Brad Treliving used to be adamant from the beginning of his tenure in Would possibly that locking i’m sick Matthews long-term can be a concern. The Leafs wanted readability on the place Matthews may fall in the case of wage sooner than Treliving may just flip his consideration to alternative team of workers issues, together with negotiating an extension for ahead William Nylander, who is also within the ultimate season of his word of honour.
“I want to be in Toronto as long as I can,” Nylander stated previous this era, cautioning that he used to be in deny sprint to hurry a do business in over the form.
Toronto can have 3 avid gamers in 2024-25 who can have a cap collision of no less than $10 million, with Matthews becoming a member of John Tavares ($11 million) and Mitch Marner ($10.9 million).
Toronto has reached the playoffs in each and every complete season since Matthews got here on board however has complicated day the primary spherical best as soon as — after they crowned Tampa Bay in a six-game sequence closing spring. The Leafs adopted that efficiency up by way of falling in 5 video games to the Florida Panthers in the second one spherical.
