The Leafs have made another excellent move here, and the criticisms of this trade are bordering on hilarious. How is five years not “long term”? Why does anyone care about the Salary Cap six years from now? And on and on.
People will complain about anything, but this is a little much.
The Leafs locked up the second best player in the world for a deal that is cheaper, in terms of cap hit percentage than his peers.
So let’s not look the gift horse right in the old peepers.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews
Five years isn’t as good as eight, mostly because the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to pay dearly for what would have been the last three years of his max-length contract, when they re-sign him to an eight year deal five years from now.