That summer, on Aug. 23, Matthews signed a four-year extension 10 months before hitting unrestricted free agency. There is a story behind this no one knew. According to several sources, the groundwork for that contract was actually laid in the summer of 2022. Two years before he could leave, one year before he could even sign, the Maple Leafs wanted to know if there was any reason to worry. After conversations about the state of the franchise and how everyone envisioned the future, Matthews told the Leafs he would re-sign as long as the train didn’t suffer a Fugitive-like crash — a promise he kept.
Two years before Marner could exit, there were conversations, but the Maple Leafs did not receive the same assurances.