The Arizona native, who happens to be one of the most lethal goalscorer in the league, will enter contractual negotiations as soon as his current deal ends in 2024. He already commands a hefty $11.64M AAV and you can be sure that he'll look to increase that number.
Kypreos also added that the Leafs won't simply "hand it over" to Matthews, and contract negotiations will last a while. Kypreos also mentioned the longer the two sides go without an extension, the trade talks surrounding William Nylander will get stronger.
The Maple Leafs already have issues with the salary cap since they have $53M split between only 6 players (Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie). Which leaves about $31M for the remaining 17 players. Increasing Matthews' AAV will cost a lot more than just a few bucks if the Leafs want to retain his services. Especially with former Calder Trophy nominee Michael Bunting seeking an extension as soon as this summer.
