Let’s get into some initial thoughts and a look at the path forward.
Initial Thoughts on the Deal
I totally understand the concern from some quarters about the the final term and AAV of the Auston Matthews contract. I thought Kyle Dubas would get more buy-in on the program he’s selling, and if the deal was only going to be five years in length, I pictured it would be at a more team-friendly amount to try to make it a little bit easier to keep everyone together.
Part of me wonders whether Brendan Shanahan was just trying to do Dubas a solid in speaking out and talking about discounts last Fall — armed with the strange pre-Cap, sky high-budget Red Wings team as his example — but part of me also wonders if team-friendly discounts, especially in the feel-good honeymoon phase following the John Tavares victory, was actually built into the Leafs’ cap plan/“Shana-plan”.