NHL News: Maple Leafs, Lightning, and International Play

Auston Matthews contract breakdown

Puck Pedia: Auston Matthews has a full no-movement clause. Breakdown of his four-year, $13.25 million cap hit extension.

2024-25: $775,000 and a $15.925 million signing bonus
2025-26: $775,000 and a $14.425 million signing bonus
2026-27: $900,000 and a $10.18 million signing bonus
2027-28: $900,000 and a $9.12 million signing bonus

David Alter: “$49.65 million of Matthews’ $53 million paid in signing bonus (93.68 percent).

The NHL minimum salary is $775k until 2026 when the CBA expires. If it ends up being higher than 900k in the next CBA, Matthews would get the additional amount, too.”

The Lightning extend Darren Raddysh

Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning have signed defenseman Darren Raddysh to a two-year, one-way contract extension with a cap hit of $975,000.

Puck Pedia: He’ll get $1.114 million in the first year and $836,000 in the second.

Erik Erlendsson: Raddysh has one year left on his contract at a $762,500 cap hit. He was paired with Mikhail Sergachev for the last month-plus of the season.

Chris Krenn: “Raddysh was set to be a UFA at the end of the upcoming season. After a strong showing following his call-up last March, he’s rewarded with a two-year extension that keeps him in Tampa through the end of 2025-26.”

Chris Krenn: “Raddysh performed really well for the #Bolts in the postseason last year on a pair with Mikhail Sergachev. With Erik Cernak out, Raddysh ranked second among all Tampa Bay skaters in average time on ice at 25:13 TOI/GP. Great value for the Lightning.”

The NHL, NHLPA coming up with an International plan

Dan Rosen of NHL.com: The NHL and NHLPA are working on creating an International schedule starting in 2025. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly:

“So if we do a ’25 international tournament, we do the ’26 Olympics, the ’28 World Cup of Hockey, the ’30 Olympics, the ’32 World Cup of Hockey, and so on. That’s the goal.”

The format of the 2025 International Tournament isn’t known yet.

“I don’t know exactly what form it will take,” Daly said. “The goal is to make it an international competition of some sort. It’s going to obviously be heavily NHL-centric in terms of the player base, maybe entirely NHL. We’ll see what form it takes, but that’s something we’re working on with the Players’ Association.”

The status of Russia is an issue for the planning of a 2025 World Cup.

The IOC isn’t inviting Russia or Belarus to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.