Toronto Maple Leafs sign Auston Matthews to four-year extension with $13.25 million AAV

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed center Auston Matthews to a four-year contract with a $13.25 million cap hit.

Matthews, 25, will be entering the final year of his current five-year contract with an $11,640,250 cap hit, and was eligible for an extension as of July 1st. His new contract will see him get a raise of about $1.6 million, which when adjusted for the increased salary cap next season will end up at around the same cap hit percentage as his previous deal. He’ll surpass Nathan MacKinnon for the highest cap hit in the league when it comes into effect next season, and will also be the highest cap hit in the salary cap era.

Matthews had a down season by his standards, but still a strong season overall from the superstar center. He had 40 goals, 45 assists, and 85 points in just 74 games, with his 40 goals being the lowest he’s scored in a season where he played at least 70 games since his rookie season. It was also the first time in his career that he finished with more assists than goals in a season.

Matthews also had 5 goals, 6 assists, and 11 points in 11 games in the playoffs, as the Leafs managed to win their first playoff series since 2004 by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games before losing to the Florida Panthers in the second round in five games.

Matthews was the consensus first-overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, going to the Leafs after they finished in last place in the 2015-16 season. He’s since developed into one of the best goal scorers in the game, hitting the 30-goal mark in all seven seasons, the 40-goal mark in five, and the 60-goal mark once in 2021-22, when he also won the Hart Trophy. He enters the 2023-24 season just one goal shy of 300 goals in his career.

The Maple Leafs made several additions to their team this summer, signing Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg, Max Domi, and Ryan Reaves in free agency. They still find themselves about $3 million over the salary cap if you don’t include long-term injured reserve candidates Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray, but have no more contracts to worry about for this upcoming season, although they still need to get William Nylander extended before next offseason.