Auston Matthews Opens Himself Up to Criticism With Comments on Connor McDavid's New Deal

The news that broke the NHL yesterday came out of the Edmonton Oilers' camp after they announced a contract extension for Connor McDavid.

It was a topic of discussion that was ongoing since the season came to an end and it brought about some hope for Leafs Nation that perhaps there was a sliver of hope the superstar could find his way back home in Toronto.

Funny enough, there still might be light at the end of the tunnel even after putting pen to paper, considering he only signed for 2 years but at a relatively team-friendly AAV of $12.5 million.

It was a very noteworthy piece of news, so much so that players around the NHL have chimed in, including Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who felt it was all about one major goal:

When asked about whether or not more stars would be pressured to accept lower salaries as a result of the McDavid deal, Matthews handled the question as best he could.

McDavid signing for two more years beyond 2025-26, essentially gives the Oilers a 3-year window to figure things out, after having now lost back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

Matthews' comments certainly open himself up to criticism after he signed a contract with an AAV of $13.25 million just a couple of years ago as well as his very rich post-ELC contract that many felt helped stall the Maple Leafs' progress - alongside Mitch Marner's deal.

However, even at that time of his most recent extension, it was still seen as a discount and it had been reported that he left money on the table, so Matthews might know a thing or two about signing an extension in the hopes of winning it all.

For the Oilers, similarly to the Leafs, it's about building the team around your cornerstone superstars, and it will be interesting to see how they go about the next few years with McDavid's short extension putting them on a clock.