TORONTO — Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs are having productive conversations towards a new contract, general manager Kyle Dubas said on Tuesday.
“With Auston, we continue to have very healthy dialogue with (his agents) Judd Moldaver and Jeff Jackson,” Dubas said.
Matthews is in the final season of a three-year entry level contract and has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, 2018. He has 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists) in 34 games this season and 174 points (94 goals, 80 assists) in 178 games since entering the NHL at the start of the 2016-17 season.
[RELATED: Matthews, Marner look to spark Maple Leafs as new linemates]
The No.1 selection in the 2016 NHL Draft missed 14 games with a shoulder injury from Oct. 29 to Nov. 26 but has 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 23 games since returning to the lineup.
Dubas said Mitchell Marner who is also in the final year of his three-year entry level contract, remains intent to wait until after the season before resuming contract discussions. Marner’s agent Darrin Ferris has stated that they do not plan to negotiate during the season.
“When it comes to Mitch, Darrin Ferris has been very overt in his stance on it publically. When we have a further update, we’ll be letting everybody know,” Dubas said.
Marner leads the Maple Leafs in scoring this season with 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in 48 games and has 191 points (60 goals, 131 assists) in 207 NHL games since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Dubas said he has not been surprised to see Marner take another step forward this season and increase his offensive production. If that leads to a more lucrative contract than the team had originally forecasted for Marner, the GM said he would rather have that issue to contend with than a player who has stalled in his development.
“Mitch comes in, even in the dog days of the season, and he’s so happy and excited to be here, it just lifts the group,” Dubas said. “I think anybody who has as much talent as he does, that loves hockey as much as he does and works as hard as he does, you’re going to continue to see continued growth in him. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise whatsoever, his impact on the team is immense and he’s a fantastic player that we’re very fortunate and proud to have as a Maple Leaf.
Video: Look at the heads-up play that led to Marner’s goal
In mid-December, Dubas said the team’s intention is to have both Matthews and Marner signed to new contracts prior to July 1, 2019 when each can become a restricted free agent, thereby avoiding the possibility of a protracted negotiation possibly stretching into next season as it did with William Nylander this season when he signed a six-year contract just minutes before the Dec. 1 deadline.
“We do want to avoid the situation we were just in (with William Nylander),” Dubas said in December. “It would be our intention well before July 1st that we have an agreement and both players are here long term. One way or another, we’ll get to that point.”
Contracts for Matthews and Marner, the GM acknowledged, are the team’s primary focus right now and until they are completed, it affects Toronto’s ability to forecast whether they will be able to sign defenseman Jake Gardiner, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, to an extension.
“I don’t want this to come off as anything other than reality. If we knew where all of our players would be (contractually) and what our situation was, it would help us prepare for a number of factors but those are very big personal decisions for the players and I don’t want this to come off as we’re putting pressure on them to do so,” Dubas said.
“It’s a life changing decision for any player that is signing a long term contract, not just the two of them but for many others as it was for John (Tavares) in the summer and others who’ve re-signed or signed here. Yes, it would be, selfishly for me, beneficial but for the players, I think they have to make sure they are fully comfortable in going into any arrangement when they are fully happy and ready to do so.”
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