We're still more than half a year away from Leafs superstar Auston Matthews even becoming eligible to sign his extension, but according to a report from Real Kyper and Bourne's Nick Kypreos, his is preparing to demand an absurd amount of money from the Maple Leafs on July 1st.
Per Kypreos, Matthews may in fact be seeking a deal for the maximum 8 years at $15M per season. While the common consensus all along has been that the Leafs would basically hand Matthews a blank check on July 1st and tell him to write in any number he wants, Kyper also stated that he doesn't believe that the Leafs are preparing to do any such thing. He says the Leafs have no intentions of simply handing over a $15Mx8 deal.
Obviously, it's still too early to determine whether or not there's any truth to these rumours, but something else Kypreos said did make a lot of sense. Kyper stated that if Matthews doesn't ink his next deal right away, the trade speculation revolving around William Nylander, which has been there since he signed his extension, will only intensify.
I think everyone knows that if Matthews signs a deal worth $15M per season, there will be at least one significant subtraction from the roster. Since Nylander is also in line to earn between $9.5M-$10M on his next deal, it stands to reason that he could be moved for a handsome return.
Again - this is all very early, so I think we have to take what Kyper is saying here with a grain of salt. But if a Matthews extension isn't announced on July 1st, I'm sure there will be plenty of chatter as to why.
