The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have to make a decision about the future of Auston Matthews right now, but make no mistake, that day is coming. And when it does, the record-breaking eight-year Cale Makar deal might have changed the narrative around what the Leafs organization and MLSE are willing to do.
After Makar’s new extension, a poll question about whether the Maple Leafs would give Matthews a similar deal to keep him in Toronto to finish his career drew an overwhelmingly negative response. 84% of respondents said no.
Why Such a Negative Response to the Matthews Poll Question?
The crew from TSN’s First Up dug a little deeper into the poll, asking if fans would give Matthews an eight-year deal at $20 million to keep him. “Do you want Auston Matthews to be here and finish his career as a Maple Leaf, because that’s the deal,” they argued. Fans were quick to say they wouldn’t, which then leads to an interesting debate about why, and ultimately, what the Leafs will need to do.
The level of comfort on the part of the Maple Leafs to give Matthews an eight-year deal would be understandably low. It’s not that they don’t want Matthews to retire a Leaf, but to give him that much term, essentially taking him to the age of 37, is risky. With his declining production and injury history, it’s not a slam dunk decision.
The reality is, Matthews may never score 50 goals in a season again. Without Mitch Marner, his chances are certainly lower. And if he doesn’t, is he a $20 million player? That’s debatable if he’s putting up 27- and 33-goal seasons.
The Flaw in the Poll
First Up also argued that the same people who voted no will be the same fans who are mad if and when Matthews leaves. The host argued that those same fans say they’re not willing to pay him, but they’ll want to ride down the middle, refusing to accept that it’s the cost to keep someone of Matthews’s pedigree in a rising cap environment. “The players have control, man,” one host said.
The poll also didn’t account for how fans feel about where the Maple Leafs are as an organization. Matthews is a key part of the continued attempts to win hockey games. They went all in this summer, making management and coaching changes, revamping their roster, and drafting Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall. This team isn’t trying to do anything but compete.
Are the Maple Leafs Willing to Trade Matthews?
The option, if the Maple Leafs don’t want to give Matthews the money, is to trade him. That’s something they need to do sooner rather than later, given that he has only this and next season remaining on his current deal. The Maple Leafs have to get what they can in return. Meaning, if they aren’t willing to pay him the market rate (which might be close to Makar money), they have to recoup assets for him in a blockbuster deal.
The poll probably should have asked respondents a follow-up: ‘If you’re not willing to give Matthews the same kind of money as Makar, are you willing to trade him to avoid losing him in free agency?’ “Pick a side,” the hosts argued.
Questions like this are rarely black and white. Maybe fans don’t want to pay Matthews that much. So then what? It’s not as simple as just saying no when his side asks.
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