Kind of a stupid topic imo, it'll be between the Leafs, Austin, and Austin's agent. The best player doesn't always take the most money. After all, Toews gets paid more than Crosby. Regardless, he'll get paid by the Leafs and the real discussion will be who falls off after that.
- mgriffen

Matt Barzel is better than Austin Matthews.

Hi Folks
Been a fan here in Edmonton since 1973-74
My take is this...
Skills wise the 2 are equal...
Personally I would rather have McDavid than Matthews right now and here is why
If I have the puck, who out of the two do I want coming at me???
McDavid who will hit me and/or take away the puck or Matthews who won’t hit me but will try to take the puck away....
What I’m saying is I think Matthews is an elite player with zero physical presence...
His playoff aggression should be his regular season aggression and the Leafs and Matthews would be far better off
GO LEAFS GO !!!
Frick I cannot wait for the Parade !
In color no less - lol

You post things with such certainty, and now we see a signing of Kuch for 8 years/9.5 and you don't have a word on what that means. I don't get it....sooo clear to me that this is no coincidence. Stevie Y just gave Dorion the middle finger and told him and the world.....You can keep him! It's over with the EK65 to Tampa!

Whatcha gonna do? You have one of the best lines in the league, gotta keep it together. Plus the supporting cast is pretty stellar...sign some plugs for the rest and go for it
- mgriffen

I understand a couple plugs. But only 2 dmen under contract. 13 mil isn’t enough to get 4 D and 6 forwards. That’s a lot more than a couple plugs

You post things with such certainty, and now we see a signing of Kuch for 8 years/9.5 and you don't have a word on what that means. I don't get it....sooo clear to me that this is no coincidence. Stevie Y just gave Dorion the middle finger and told him and the world.....You can keep him! It's over with the EK65 to Tampa!
- KANADIAN

I did not see if Kucherov got a NTC or anything so this could be that Ottawa or NYR or whoever else did NOT want to negotiate with Kucherov after next year. Tampa has him locked up now for a reasonable price (looking at JT for $11m) so they could now turn around and trade him as part of the Karlsson deal. Just a thought. He could have a NTC that hasn't been reported so I could be so far off.

Matthew's will not make more than JT . That's a discount
- matthewsscores

Matthews ego won't allow that

God, these blogs get worse and worse every day. Auston Matthews isn't even close to McDavid. Matthews is a phenomenal elite player, but he might not even be the best center on his team now. Connor McDavid is the best player of his era already and he's 20. Stop trying to create controversy with this garbage.

Ok but that's still considerably less than McDavid. Look at the impact this kid has had on this team. He could ask for more but he will sign for less to play on this team. People just got to get over their hate for the leafs. They are a good team and players want to be here.
- matthewsscores

I understand a couple plugs. But only 2 dmen under contract. 13 mil isn’t enough to get 4 D and 6 forwards. That’s a lot more than a couple plugs
- Jlaura76

What's cheaper than a plug then?

Crack is a helluva drug.

I did not see if Kucherov got a NTC or anything so this could be that Ottawa or NYR or whoever else did NOT want to negotiate with Kucherov after next year. Tampa has him locked up now for a reasonable price (looking at JT for $11m) so they could now turn around and trade him as part of the Karlsson deal. Just a thought. He could have a NTC that hasn't been reported so I could be so far off.
- Kucherovski

Tampa has their Russian Stamkos in place....I would see a better move for tampa to move Stamkos. Kuch is their future. Trade him for a broken ankle 11mil defenceman. NO!

This is absolute trolling dribble. Ek, this is garbage.

I did not see if Kucherov got a NTC or anything so this could be that Ottawa or NYR or whoever else did NOT want to negotiate with Kucherov after next year. Tampa has him locked up now for a reasonable price (looking at JT for $11m) so they could now turn around and trade him as part of the Karlsson deal. Just a thought. He could have a NTC that hasn't been reported so I could be so far off.
- Kucherovski

Again, not a valid comparison. While I agree Kucherov just signed a sweetheart deal, comparing his extension, signed as a RFA, to what Tavares signed on the open market as a UFA is not really apples to apples.

Strange, I recall numerous mcdavid vs crosby comparisons but no matthews vs crosby comparisons. Guess its just me, but crosby is supposedly the best all around player and he would get approx 11.2 million under new cap if he signed his current deal today. I guess tavares is overpaid.

I think he will - by a small margin.

11.25 mil per year for 8 years or something like that
- Kinger34

Yeah...this makes sense

Hi Folks
Been a fan here in Edmonton since 1973-74
My take is this...
Skills wise the 2 are equal...
Personally I would rather have McDavid than Matthews right now and here is why
If I have the puck, who out of the two do I want coming at me???
McDavid who will hit me and/or take away the puck or Matthews who won’t hit me but will try to take the puck away....
What I’m saying is I think Matthews is an elite player with zero physical presence...
His playoff aggression should be his regular season aggression and the Leafs and Matthews would be far better off
GO LEAFS GO !!!
Frick I cannot wait for the Parade !
In color no less - lol
- Alberta_Leaf

Holy poop.

HOLY. poop.

Mathews may take a discount, Tavares 11, McDavid 12.5 Kucherov 9.5. No matter how you slice it hes not taking less than 10.

Mathews is a phenomenal player, but lets be real Mcdavid is probably the best player in the NHL. The guys got wheels and hands, in today's game that's a deadly combination.
- guno89

he's not making less than 10 for certain, since even Eichel in Buffalo got that.

at the same time, I dont believe he'll make more than 11 mil

he's in toronto, not in the boonies of a small market like McDavind in Edmonton

the extra cash he gets from advertising and such will also bring in millions

You post things with such certainty, and now we see a signing of Kuch for 8 years/9.5 and you don't have a word on what that means. I don't get it....sooo clear to me that this is no coincidence. Stevie Y just gave Dorion the middle finger and told him and the world.....You can keep him! It's over with the EK65 to Tampa!
- KANADIAN

Stralman and girardi are gone

Lose killorn as compensation for another team taking Callahan

Just shy of $18 mil freed up next off season.

Karl's on could sign for less then expected because Tampa tax cheating and there is a Good d core left going into the off season

Hedman-karlson
McDunough-dotchin
Koekoek-foote

Assuming Tampa makes some noises in the playoffs finding cheap depth players won't be hard

Matthews will sign for less than McDavid. Not because he deserves less but because hes thinking win. The leaf brass know exactly what they are doing when it comes to signing their talent. These posts by ek are a reach. Yes I prefer Matthews over McDavid. My opinion but I dont think it's all about the money for him. Gonna be hard to build a team around guys who just go for the cap max. That's the reality in a salary cap era
- matthewsscores

ya cause that how human being works...especially a kid...

Last guy I honestly remember doing that was Marty Brodeur...

One could argue Selanne and Karya but that was to go on another team, so not the same

Lol. Matthews isn’t even ppg career player but I agree. Give him $15mil per year and might as well throw $12mil at Marner

Matt Barzel is better than Austin Matthews.
- Pet.m.d.

Very true...try explaining that to EK...

Holy poop.

HOLY. poop.
- TheSabresTaco

IKR?!?!?
Ahhh Leafs fans (some of them)...

"Auston Matthews is every bit as valuable and every bit as talented as Connor McDavid."

Bawhahahahahahhahahahahahahah


Bwhahahahahahhahahahahahahahhaha

Whew...

Is this click bait or for real?

Mathews to date does nothing better than McDavid... to date so far anyways. Might change, who knows, but only a blind person could say otherwise right now with a straight face.

To be fair the only thing, the only thing, that has a ring of truth to it in your rediculous blog is how he is getting less ice time. But untill we see him handle big minutes like McDavid we won't know what he can do with those minutes.

BTW, some of those minutes are PK minutes as well. Which Mathews is not as good defensively to get yet.

Again, not a valid comparison. While I agree Kucherov just signed a sweetheart deal, comparing his extension, signed as a RFA, to what Tavares signed on the open market as a UFA is not really apples to apples.
- poopstash

My point had nothing to do with UFA vs RFA, has everything to do with IF Kucherov is part of a bigger move the team who gets Kucherov gets him at $9.5m per not $11m per. The team could have been thinking if we trade for Kucherov now we have to negotiate with him as an RFA and we may end up paying $11m, $9.5m is much easier to trade for at this point.