<p>August 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2023. will be a day Leafs fans will remember for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>Auston Matthews isn’t going anywhere, baby.</p>
<p>Following months of speculation, the Leafs and their superstar centre put pen to paper on a four-year contract extension worth $53 million. The deal, which will kick in next season, will make the 25-year-old the highest paid player per year in the NHL. All in all, I call it in a win all-around. Matthews got paid and the Leafs have him through his core 25-30 years. Can’t go wrong with that.</p>
<p>With all that in mind, Jay Rosehill and I got together to discuss the fallout from the monumental day. At first, I honestly thought Matthews’ social media accounts had been hacked. Of course, it was his Tweet that ignited the blaze. Let’s go!</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l7M2e6gghR8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ultimately, the focus now shifts to William Nylander. Without question, I think that negotiation will be way tougher than the Matthews one. Let’s call a spade a spade: Matthews called his own shot. And rightfully so. His track record and resume speak for themselves. There’s a reason why he’s widely regarded as a top-5 player in the league right now. He’s a bar setter —that’s no doubt about that.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tw2SUb1D6gQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Furthermore, I’m curious to see a year from now what all this means for Mitch Marner, who will be eligible for an extension next summer. If I’m Brad Treliving, I make it clear that the AAV for Auston Matthews is the benchmark and that he’ll be the highest paid player on the team. It’s imperative that Treliving find a way to set a tone with respect to negotiations. Bottom line: There has to be a pecking order established. I mean, every team seems to have one but the Leafs.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and leave us a review wherever you’re checking us out.</p>


August 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2023. will be a day Leafs fans will remember for the foreseeable future.

Auston Matthews isn’t going anywhere, baby.

Following months of speculation, the Leafs and their superstar centre put pen to paper on a four-year contract extension worth $53 million. The deal, which will kick in next season, will make the 25-year-old the highest paid player per year in the NHL. All in all, I call it in a win all-around. Matthews got paid and the Leafs have him through his core 25-30 years. Can’t go wrong with that.

With all that in mind, Jay Rosehill and I got together to discuss the fallout from the monumental day. At first, I honestly thought Matthews’ social media accounts had been hacked. Of course, it was his Tweet that ignited the blaze. Let’s go!

https://youtu.be/l7M2e6gghR8?si=ghE7EJrE01PHuNLa

&nbsp;

Ultimately, the focus now shifts to William Nylander. Without question, I think that negotiation will be way tougher than the Matthews one. Let’s call a spade a spade: Matthews called his own shot. And rightfully so. His track record and resume speak for themselves. There’s a reason why he’s widely regarded as a top-5 player in the league right now. He’s a bar setter —that’s no doubt about that.

https://youtu.be/tw2SUb1D6gQ?si=vIrFQ3Y0x_I8fILL

&nbsp;

Furthermore, I’m curious to see a year from now what all this means for Mitch Marner, who will be eligible for an extension next summer. If I’m Brad Treliving, I make it clear that the AAV for Auston Matthews is the benchmark and that he’ll be the highest paid player on the team. It’s imperative that Treliving find a way to set a tone with respect to negotiations. Bottom line: There has to be a pecking order established. I mean, every team seems to have one but the Leafs.

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and leave us a review wherever you’re checking us out.

Auston Matthews got PAID, now it’s time to deliver when it matters most: Leafs Morning Take

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