TORONTO, ON — The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a four-year, $53 million contract extension for franchise center Auston Matthews on Wednesday. The deal kicks in next summer and will keep him in blue and white through the 2027-28 season.
His new average annual valuation will come in at $13,250,000, making him the NHL's highest paid player for now, at least until Connor McDavid is due a new deal in 2026, or maybe even when the Edmonton Oilers need to re-sign Leon Draisaitl the summer before that.
But, is Matthews still underpaid? There's a case to be made, especially considering it's not a huge raise over his current AAV of $11,640,250.
"He should probably be getting at least $14- or $15-million per season," argues Hunter Hodies of Locked of NHL, basing that on surface and underlying numbers. "He's a top five player in the league and he's shown that through his entire career."
By signing only a four year extension, Matthews is setting himself up for another massive payday in 2028, at which point McDavid will have likely set another benchmark for the highest contract.
While Matthews is not on the same level as McDavid, the conversation highlights the disparity between NHL contracts in comparison to the rest of the sports world.
The NHL's salary cap is expected to rise substantially over the next half decade, and Jay Forster adds Matthews could command $18- to $20-million on his next deal.
For his career, Matthews is averaging 0.62 goals per game and 1.13 points per game, and he's routinely put up impressive possession metrics while also winning faceoffs and blocking shots.
He's also won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, a Hart Trophy as league MVP, and two Richard Trophies as the NHL's top single season goal scorer.
Next up is more playoff success, which would push his value into a new stratosphere.
And next up for the Maple Leafs is trying to re-sign William Nylander, who can become a free agent next summer.