In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Auston Matthews to a four-year, $53 million contract. What happened behind the scenes that led to the agreed-upon term? Meanwhile, have the New York Rangers inked Alexis Lafreniere to a two-year extension? Did Connor McDavid just leave the door open to an eventual departure from the Oilers and are two big names rumored to be on the trade block in Washington actually staying put?
Matthews Wouldn’t Sign Longer Than 4 Years
According to multiple reports, Auston Matthews held firm on his demand for only four years when negotiating his contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nick Kypreos and others are noting that the Leafs wanted five years and Matthews wanted three. They met in the middle and the belief is that both sides are relatively pleased with the deal.
Frank Seravalli noted, “Matthews camp was not willing to go beyond 4 years. Leafs pushed for longer.” Elliotte Friedman notes on NHL Network that this was the kind of deal that was always going to happen. Toronto realized they weren’t going to get five years out of Matthews and they always knew it was going to be the highest AAV in the NHL. Matthews had the hammer in negotiations and Toronto knew what it would take to get it done, they wanted to get it done, and they didn’t want the uncertainty of the noise of an extension hanging over the season.
Chris Johnston reports, “The Auston Matthews extension will be paid almost entirely in signing bonuses with nearly $50M of the $53M contract coming that way. That includes a $15.925M bonus payment when the contract officially kicks in next July.”
Lafreniere Signs 2-Year Bridge Deal with Rangers
While not officially announced as of the time of this writing, multiple reports suggest that Alexis Lafrenière has reportedly signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers. CapFriendly has the deal at $2.325M x two years and the structure is as follows: 23-24: $1.65M + $350k signing bonus 24-25: $2.65M.
During the Mid-August Pro-Am charity event, Lafreniere informed La Presse’s Simon Olivier Lorange to anticipate an imminent agreement. “It’s on the horizon,” Lafreniere commented. “Discussions are ongoing between my agent and the Rangers. I’m optimistic about resolution in the upcoming weeks.” It sounds like the player was giving everyone a heads-up that the deal was right around the corner.
This temporarily pushes the Rangers over the salary cap by $46,583. It’s not something the organization is concerned about.
McDavid Committed to Oilers But Uncertain About Future
In a recent article by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Connor McDavid surprised a few fans with his candid answer regarding his future with the team. While no one should be surprised that a player can’t predict where he’ll be in three years, that McDavid left the door open a crack to a future that wasn’t in Edmonton got the attention of some.
McDavid made sure to reiterate his loyalty to the team and city, but he added, “But with that all being said, it’s three years down the road. We’ve got to kind of see where our lives are at and kind of go from there.”
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McDavid’s second statement was measured, intending to quell unnecessary conjecture and undue apprehension: “I don’t say that to raise eyebrows or cause panic. It’s just the way that it is. But I love playing in Edmonton, I’m 100 percent committed to winning in Edmonton with this group… And we’re gonna see it through.”
Kuznetsov and Mantha Set to Stay Put with Capitals Despite Trade Rumors
In a recent post from The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber, she reveals that trade talks surrounding Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha have surfaced. That said, the speculation implies that both players are expected to continue their tenure with the Washington Capitals, at least temporarily.
Silber refers to a prior report by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, underlining Kuznetsov and Mantha as potential trade assets for the Capitals. Nonetheless, the prospect of either player being traded appears dim. There’s been no indication that Mantha has drawn any serious interest from teams and the Capitals aren’t willing to retain the money needed to move Kuznetsov.