Alleged timing of Auston Matthews’ next contract leaked

At this point, just about and their brother knows that the Toronto Maple Leafs have some critical financial decisions to make in the near future that will be laid at the feet of new general manager Brad Treliving, whom team president Brendan Shanahan is now trusting to make the proper decisions after the termination of Kyle Dubas.

Right off the bat after his hiring, Treliving has already made several additions via free agency to the Leafs, including the likes of the son of beloved former Leafs forward Tie Domi's son Max along with tough customer Ryan Reaves and the scrappy Tyler Bertuzzi. Their new deals are taking up a considerable chunk of Toronto's already extremely limited cap space, combined with the new contracts for goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones as well as new contracts for star forwards William Nylander and Auston Matthews before they hit the open market next summer.

When it comes to Matthews, it has appeared far more likely that he's going to be easier to sign for the Leafs and Treliving rather than Nylander, who is said to be holding firm in his request of an AAV that the team would not be able to afford. But when could fans expect a new deal for Matthews?

According to TSN analyst Frank Corrado, it could be coming in short order.

"But whether it's done August 17th or September 1st or September 15th or the first day of the regular season,
it's all the same. Like, once it's done, it's going to be done.

You just don't want it to start creeping into the season because if you get two, three months down the road,
then you start asking questions. You're like, okay, like, what's holding this thing up?
But we're not there yet. So we shouldn't be panicking like that.

But it's right around the corner."

Corrado continued:

"Although you'd like a contract to be signed, I don't know about you. I don't see that happening tomorrow, do you?
It sounded like things were headed in the right direction. So, I don't know, you kind of just have to take that at face value if that's what the insiders or experts are telling you."

I would also imagine, because Jimmy, it is August 17th, there's nothing happening. There's no point in announcing anything like that right now. Even if it is done, why not just wait until the first day of training camp to announce it? All the reporters are going to be there. You're going to be there."

Leafs fans, it sounds like news could be coming in the near future regarding an extension for Matthews.

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