What's wrong with Auston Matthews?

[Guilt Trip]

Facts schmacts.

Facts don't lie and I got tired a few years back of reading people saying Dubas screwed us with all these NMCs so I checked it out and it simply isn't true. He did nothing new to the Leafs. Too much money, bad trades, is a different debate.

 

[mr grieves]

McDavid, Crosby, Malkin, Pasta, Barkov, B Tkachuk, Stamkos, Hedman, Tavares, Toews, Kane, Getzlaf, Perry all had NMCs in year 5, the final year for most, of their 2nd deal. Malkin had a NMC in all 5 years. Tavares signed a 6 year deal and had protection the last 2. McD/Tkachuk got theirs in years 5-8. Marner/Pasta/Barkov protection in years 5,6. Matthews in year 5. Willy only had a M-NTC in year 6 of his deal so Dubas only handed out 2 NMCs in years 5 to the Leafs elite, again pretty normal for your high end stars.

In most of these cases, the players had a lot more early career playoff success or their AAVs were a lot lower. There are exceptions, I'm sure, but in general the Leafs contract AAVs + playoff records + NMCs make their RFA contracts outliers. I think if we made a table with the data points listed above that would be borne out.

But we oughtn't lose sight of the forest here. Players with NMCs and NTCs that kick in in the last year or two get moved before that happens when it's not working out. Even when the clause is in the contract, teams don't often see their stars walk away and leave them nothing. For that to happen, you need some spectacular mismanagement.