Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews has just one year left on his five-year, $58.17 million contract, but he expressed interest Monday in signing an extension before next season begins.
Coming off his fourth consecutive season with at least 40 goals, Matthews, 25, will be eligible to sign an extension on July 1, when he officially enters the final season of the contract he signed in 2019.
‘My intention is to be here,” Matthews said during Toronto’s end-of-season availability. “I think I’ve reciprocated that before how much I enjoy playing here, what it means to me, the organization, my teammates and how much I just enjoy being here.
“I really do enjoy playing here, and it’s a true honor.”
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, Matthews is a two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner for scoring the most regular-season goals. He also won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2017, as well as the Hart Trophy, for league MVP, last season.
A California native who was raised in Arizona, Matthews had a disappointing second round as the Maple Leafs failed to advance to the Eastern Conference finals after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1. Matthews failed to score in the five-game loss to the Florida Panthers and finished with just two assists.
“It’s hard to win,” Matthews said Friday after the elimination game. “I think we know that more than anybody. This is a tough one.”
Matthews finished the regular season with 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games and has amassed 542 points in 481 games in seven NHL seasons, all with Toronto. He posted five goals and 11 points this postseason.
Matthews said Monday that an injury affected his shooting ability but wouldn’t specify what it was.
Teammate William Nylander, who is set to enter the final year of his six-year, $45 million contract, would also like to stay in Toronto, he told reporters Monday.
“I love it here,” he said. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Nylander, 27, had the best season of his career, finishing with 40 goals and 87 points in 82 games. He totaled four goals and 10 points in 11 playoff games. In eight seasons with the Maple Leafs, Nylander has 430 points (177 goals, 253 assists) in 521 career games.
Captain John Tavares and star forward Mitchell Marner, who are both signed for two more seasons, are also expected to remain part of Toronto’s core.
“I believe we had a group good enough to win the Stanley Cup, and we didn’t do that,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday. “This is a missed opportunity for our group.”
Also Monday, Kyle Dubas, Toronto’s general manager who is on an expiring contract, said he would not consider offers from other teams while the Maple Leafs figure out their management team this offseason.
“I definitely don’t have it in me to go anywhere else,” Dubas said. “It’ll either be here or it’ll be taking time to recalibrate, reflect on the seasons here. You won’t see me next week pop up elsewhere. I can’t put [my family] through that after this year.”
Information from ESPN NHL reporter Kristen Shilton and Reuters was used in this report.
Source: www.espn.com