Ex-GM emphatically states that he would not make Auston Matthews the highest paid player in the NHL

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the top priority this summer is obviously to get Auston Matthews signed to a contract extension. There have been a lot of numbers thrown around in terms of his expected salary or the term of the deal. Some are suggesting he could command as much as $14M-$15M per season, while others maintain that the Leafs shouldn't give him too much more than what Nathan MacKinnon got in Colorado ($12.6M AAV).

During an appearance on Sportsnet 590's The FAN on Friday, Justin Bourne and Nick Kypreos had ex NHL President, GM and coach Doug MacLean on their program, Real Kyper and Bourne, to discuss a wide range of topics. One of those topics was obviously Auston Matthews and what his new deal might look like this summer.

At one point during his appearance, MacLean was asked directly what he thinks Matthews should be paid on his next deal. MacLean took the stance that Matthews, in his mind, is not better than either Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon, whom he believes are the two best players in the game today. Therefore, he would not pay Matthews more than either McDavid ($12.5M) nor MacKinnon ($12.6M).

"I don't have him in Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon's category. I don't have him in those two players' categories, for me - especially after what I watched this year."

When pressed for elaboration by Kypreos, MacLean said that he would "100%" be negotiating a contract lower than McDavid and MacKinnon if he was sitting across from Matthews at the negotiating table, due to the fact that "he's not as good of a player as either one of them".

At this point, I think it's wishful thinking if you're trying to argue against Matthews being the highest paid player in NHL history. It's going to happen, like it or not. So now it's just a matter of how much more than MacKinnon's $12.6M will it take to get him to ink an extension? That's the burning question.

Look, all due respect to Doug MacLean, he seems a bit out of touch here. If Matthews doesn't get what he's looking for in Toronto, he will be able to play out the final year of his deal under the comfort of a full no-movement clause and leave Toronto next summer and sign somewhere for $15M per season if he wants to. Taking a hard stance at the negotiating table and refusing to pay him more than Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon is a great way to push him away, if nothing else. I just don't see how that's the stance that a former NHL executive is taking here. He's essentially saying he'd push Matthews to UFA next summer and get nothing in return rather than pay him more than McDavid and MacKinnon. I just don't see it.

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