Auston Matthews could make NHL history

It goes without saying that Toronto Maple Leafs superstar forward Auston Matthews is one of the best, if not the best, pure goal scorers in the National Hockey League today. And he’s been well recognized for his goal scoring exploits, having earned the Rocket Richard Trophy the last two straight seasons. 

Of course, the end of his current contract is within sight. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season, and the Leafs will certainly have their work cut out for them in terms of roster shuffling and bookkeeping if they intend to keep him with the team for the long haul. 

According to Maple Leafs Insider, Matthews could be setting himself up to become the highest paid player in NHL history, which would surpass the current deal of reigning Stanley Cup champion Nathan MacKinnon's AAV of $12.6 million. 

Take a look: 

"If Matthews wants to win, perhaps he's well aware of what happens when a player leaves money on the table. It allows the team to retain an additional player or two, or gives them some additional salary to spend on free agents to help bolster the roster to improve the team's overall chances of winning. For Matthews, he's been very open about wanting to win. He's even tightened up the two-way aspects of his game this season and committed to playing more of a team-first game, putting personal accolades and stats on the backburner. He was very public about his goals and assists not meaning as much to him as winning when the games start to matter in the spring and summer."

"In the end, I think it's very possible that we see Matthews land in and around the $13.34M per season range, which still does make him the highest paid player in the league, albeit incrementally, just over $700K above Mack's $12.6M AAV. Most importantly, if that does happen, it will leave the Leafs with a little over $1.6M to spend elsewhere, which can be significant in the hands of Kyle Dubas and Brandon Pridham, assuming Dubas earns a new contract with the Leafs."