Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on their 32 Thoughts Podcast – London Calling episode on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews.
Marek: “I know that Auston Matthews threw the wet towel on it and didn’t want to discuss it any further than, ‘we’ll deal with it later and Toronto is my home.’
Two more years left on Auston Matthews’ deal. Now, we live in Nathan MacKinnon world now.
Friedman: “Yep, $12.6 million.”
Marek: “We live in Nathan MacKinnon salary world and the minute that was released by the Colorado Avalanche, I think a lot of our first thoughts went to, ‘well if he’s that number, what is Auston Matthews number when he is up.’
Do you have a sense of Matthews wants? What the Maple Leafs want? What his representation Wasserman wants? And the future of Auston Matthews.
Friedman: “Well of all, I take him at face value . I know some people roll their eyes at that. I think this. Unless the Maple Leafs really go off the rails this year. Like really go off the rails. I think he stays.
I think the question is, how long.
Like the number is going to be the number. If he walks in there and says, ‘I want $12.634 , they’re going to give him $12.634. It’s going to be a massive number and they know it’s going to be a massive number.
To me the question is term. When Auston Matthews, when that contract kicks in for Matthews, he’s going to be approaching his 27th birthday. And I think the question is going to be, not what makes sense for Toronto, but what makes sense for Matthews.
Like what if he signs, for argument’s sake, what if he says, ‘you know what, I’m 27. I want to sign another contract when I’m 31.’ I think unless they go off the rails, I think he stays for at least one more contract.
The number is going to be the number. It’s going to be massive.”
Marek: “One agent I talked to today on the way here today. Because we were throwing it around, and I threw out the number $14 and he said, ‘we’ve been talking about $15 .
Friedman: “Nathan MacKinnon. When we talked to him in Vegas, I heard the number was going to be $13 and it ended up being $12.6 .
Like I heard the story with Connor McDavid was, when his contract was up the last time, at their meeting, cause the maximum you can get is 20 percent. McDavid said, or his agent said, we’re not going to ask you for 20 percent. And the Oilers were like, ‘oh, thank God.’ Cause they were like, we’re going to have to give it to you if you really want it.
So I think it’s going to come down to, what’s a big number plus what can work.”