pc28¹ÙÍø

It’s no small thing that they concluded a full four weeks before Matthews and his teammates were officially due to report for training camp in Toronto, clearing the air of any clouds before they’d even had a chance to form.

That’s not traditionally how these things have played out here.

There’s also every reason to believe this particular contract will age in a manner that is favourable to the Leafs as they seek to keep their Stanley Cup window propped open. Consider that they saw the NHL’s salary-cap ceiling climb a mere $2-million (U.S.) across the five seasons on Matthews’s expiring deal and can expect a $4-million jump before this new contract even takes effect in July because the COVID debt is projected to be paid off in the coming year.

In practical terms, that means Matthews will account for a hair more than 15 per cent of the available cap when his contract begins with the 2024-25 season — roughly equivalent to Nathan MacKinnon’s new deal in Colorado, and appropriately behind Connor McDavid’s 15.7 per cent in Edmonton back in 2018.

It is not inconceivable that Matthews might see his cap charge fall to the 13 per cent range before the end of his four-year extension should NHL revenues grow as forecasted, leaving the Leafs with more resources to devote to other aspects of the roster in the process.

With rosier economic times on the horizon for the industry, the former Hart Trophy winner and 60-goal scorer could reasonably have pushed for an AAV higher than the $ 13.25 million he received.

That’s essentially where the balance was struck in this round of discussions.

Matthews possessed all of the leverage a year out from potential unrestricted free agency and managed to protect his own interests by laying claim to the NHL’s new highest cap hit while also keeping open some career flexibility with an unprecedented four-year term. However, he could also find comfort in knowing that he wasn’t meaningfully impairing the team’s ability to compete for a championship in the process.

That was a must-have item for a player approaching his 26th birthday as he committed prime years to the organization that sacrificed an entire season to win the right to draft him first overall in 2016.

The obvious win on the Leafs end of the equation was that they secured the rights to Matthews through the 2027-28 season without completely breaking the bank to do so. That represented a strong outcome for Brad Treliving, new to the Leafs general manager’s job but no stranger to the nuances of negotiation, as he showed a steady hand during the summer while Matthews worked through his process with agent Judd Moldaver of Wasserman Hockey and other members of his small inner circle.

Sure, the Leafs would have preferred a five- or six-year term, but the four-year deal the sides landed on was one year longer than many in the industry were anticipating.

The fact they arrived there without any measurable tension or drama over the final outcome carries an intangible benefit as the team tries to build off winning a playoff round last spring.

Every year is a big year for a group still thirsting for a much bigger breakthrough, and removing any doubts about where Matthews fits into the equation is unquestionably a big positive as they seek to integrate a cast of new characters this fall.

Ultimately, Matthews proved to be a man of his word by committing the remainder of his 20s to Toronto, and that fact represents a strong statement to anyone still questioning where his heart rests.

It’s also a measure of progress for an organization that saw William Nylander miss two months of a season because of a contract standoff and had Mitch Marner arrive a couple of days late for a training camp. Even Matthews’ last negotiation took until February to wrap up after a bid to get things done during training camp fell short.

This time around there was not even a hair out of place as Matthews signed his third contract with the Leafs.

A unique contract befitting a unique player.