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Two Key Reasons Auston Matthews Will Sign a Contract Extension

Toronto Maple Leafs fans want to know if Auston Matthews will re-sign with the team. What are two key reasons that he will?

In this post, I’ll look at two reasons why I believe Brad Treliving will be able to sign Auston Matthews to a contract extension. That said, I’m unsure when that would be.

Brad Treliving Hit the Ground Running

When the Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed Treliving as their new general manager (GM), one of the first questions he was asked during his meeting with the Toronto media was what he was going to do about Auston Matthews.

That question is obviously on everyone’s minds – and that includes die-hard Maple Leafs’ fans. There’s only one Maple Leafs’ writer that I know who truly seems to believe that Matthews should be shown the door. The rest of us – insofar as I know – want the young Arizona native to stick around and lead this team to the next step.

Auston Matthews Maple Leafs 1
Auston Matthews Maple Leafs 1

Yes, that’s Treliving’s key first step – to sign Matthews to a contract extension. Matthews is the key player for this team.

Related: Maple Leafs Should Roll the Dice on Sean Monahan

Reasons Why I Believe Re-Signing Matthews Is Doable

I believe there are several reasons that the likelihood of Treliving successfully negotiating a contract extension for Matthews is high. In this post, I limit these reasons to two: (1) Treliving is an experienced GM and (2) Matthews wants to stay. The second point is obviously THE key.

Reason One: Treliving Is a Skilled Contract Negotiator

Because Treliving first assumed the role of GM for the Calgary Flames in 2014, he’s been doing this same job with the Flames organization for nine years. He’s also been overseeing the Flames’ hockey operations and playing a crucial role in team management.

As a result, Treliving comes to the Maple Leafs with solid experience and a reputation as a respected general manager. This prior experience negotiating large-value contracts gives Maple Leafs’ fans (and rightfully so) the reasons they should be confident in his ability to handle the talks surrounding Matthews’ extension.

Treliving’s previous experience negotiating contracts equips him with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate all the complexities of signing such a deal. The goal is hardly to take advantage of the other person – and that goes either and both ways. The fact both negotiators want the other to be satisfied makes contract negotiation probably easier than outsiders believe.

What makes it much much easier is that Matthews wants to be on the team.

Related: Maple Leafs’ Quick Hits: Matthews, Keefe & Core Team Members

Reason Two: Matthews Wants to Stay in Toronto

Matthews’ public statements have been consistent. He wants to stay in Toronto with this team. He seems to have no desire to leave – or at least has not expressed this. Things might have changed a bit with former GM Kyle Dubas moving to Pittsburgh. But, so far, there’s been no word.

There’s no reason why he’d lie to fans or the media. If he indeed didn’t want to stay, he would be more evasive with his answers. He wouldn’t necessarily admit it, but he wouldn’t want to suffer the fallout if he bailed on what seemed to be a commitment. He’d waffle instead of saying it aloud and again.

Instead, his strong commitment to remaining with the Maple Leafs hasn’t wavered. Insofar as an outsider like myself could pretend to read his mind, he seems to see himself as a key part (perhaps even the leader, which is just fine from my perspective) of the team’s journey to winning a Stanley Cup.

Auston Matthews Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews Maple Leafs

There’s no reason Blue & White Nation should believe differently. Matthews’ message has been unwavering. He seems to want to see this quest through and bring success to the team and his friends who are his teammates. This commitment is the key foundation for any contract negotiations. When both parties want it to happen, it likely will happen.

The Bottom Line

Treliving’s arrival as the new Maple Leafs GM changes things; however, it doesn’t necessarily make things worse. Although he’s new to the job, there’s no reason fans should feel anything but optimism about Matthews’ contract extension.

In short, Treliving’s reputation as a skilled negotiator combined with Matthews’ desire to stay in Toronto suggests a positive outcome will eventually happen. When it does, who knows?

Related: What’s Happening with ex-Maple Leafs’ Denis Malgin?

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Chris

    June 4, 2023 at 10:41 pm

    But does Matthews believe Treliving can construct a winning team? Since Auston joined the league in 2016, the Flames have missed 50% of the playoffs and only made it past round one once. While the Leafs never made it past the first round, at least they made the playoffs each year. Something to consider. On the other hand, who might appeal to Matthews more? The Panthers?

    • gfinale

      June 5, 2023 at 8:20 pm

      I don’t know the Flames but maybe they don’t have nearly the resources, infrastructure, etc. that the Leafs have. Maybe they didn’t get lucky enough to draft 1st. Maybe their coach was poor or not good for their set of players. Apparently they had a key player riding out his contract without really wanting to be there who he did a good job of trading when he knew. There are lots of reasons why what you state could happen but not mean what you say.

  2. Al Mac

    June 5, 2023 at 12:11 am

    We’ll soon understand Matthews commitment to the club vs contract length/money.
    I’ll go out on a limb and predict if he resigns it’ll be as short a contract as possible so he can, for a third time, cash in…and cash in at a time the cap is expected to rise substantially.

  3. Viktor C

    June 5, 2023 at 7:00 am

    If this kid takes the Leafs for anything more than 12mil, and less than 5 years, then he’ll deserve every second of the relentless booing and heckling he and the team will receive when they fail to make it through round one again because of a thin roster. Matthews’ deal will also set the bar for Marner and Nylander’s deals too.

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