Darren Dreger reports on major announcement to come from Auston Matthews today

UPDATE: And there it is... Matthews has officially partnered with Royal Bank (RBC). 

Read below for our earlier report on this developing story.

After a slow start to the 2022-23 NHL campaign, Toronto Maple Leaf superstar Auston Matthews has found his groove. The 25 year old has three goals and six points in his team's last three games and is now up to 12 goals and 27 points n 25 games on the season. Which is good news if you're a Leafs fan because if this team has proven nothing else it's that as Matthews goes, so too do the Leafs. He's their best, most skilled player and is arguably the top goal scorer in the league.

As such, Matthews has made a bit of a name for himself with partners and sponsors. His sponsorships with Apple and Bet99 have been well publishes and, honestly, can you blame the guy? He's a superstar in arguably the world's biggest hockey market and he's reaping the rewards. I'm never gonna hate on a guy for trying to maximize his value and get as much of a bag as possible.

With that in mind and according to a report from NHL insider Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make an announcement today on superstar forward Auston Matthews who is expected to add "another big name" to his sponsorship profile.

From Dreger:

How much do you want to bet that it's another sleazy online gambling site? Some lame betting app or something similar is what I'm guessing, because Lord knows we don't have enough of those ads in the league these days.

In all seriousness, Matthews already has an impressive stable of corporate sponsors, endorsing products from the likes of Apple electronics, Lids apparel Bet99 gambling and, of course, CCM hockey gear. I can only speculate as to what today's announcement will look like, but I suspect that AM34 will be pulling in a tidy sum for endorsing whatever it is that's to come. 

Frankly, Leafs have should be ecstatic when they hear this kind of news because it could mean that his contract demands are lower come the 2024 offseason. I mean, sure there might be teams out there willing to offer him a higher salary, but if he an offset that with bigger corporate sponsorships by living in Toronto, he actually stands to make the most money by sticking with the Leafs.