Leafs Nation breathed a collective sigh of relief today as Auston Matthews signed a new contract that will keep him in Toronto through the 2027-28 season. The Leafs get one more year at his current $11.634 cap hit, then 4 years at $13.25 million. Compared to some of the numbers we'd been hearing, it's a pretty good deal. When the cap jumps after this season, Matthews' will only be making 1% more of the Leafs total salary cap than he currently does. Not bad at all, Mr. Treliving.
As far as the details of the contract itself, the deal will contain a full no-movement clause. The bonus structure was revealed by TSN's Chris Johnston. Matthews' salary will hover at or around the league minimum. Nearly $50 Million will be paid in signing bonuses, leaving barely over $3 million to be paid in salary.
Now, I'm no accountant, nor am I an expert on tax law, but Matthews made out like a bandit here. Once his new deal expires, he'll have amassed approximately $114M in career earnings, not to mention all of the endorsements that come with being the best player in Canada's top hockey market. He'll also only be 30 when his next deal expires, so he'll almost certainly be making big money on his next deal as well, even beyond his prime years.
