Brad Treliving has a lot on his plate, and a big part of it is Auston Matthews' contract situation. Matthews is a star player for the Leafs, so it's obvious they want to keep him. But there's a question of whether Toronto can afford to keep him, especially if he becomes the highest-paid player in the league. <h2>Matthews in Toronto on the short-term?</h2> Carlo Colaiacovo and Aaron Korolnek had an interesting discussion on TSN's First Up about whether Matthews might choose a shorter contract. <q>He's put the money in the bank to set his family up for a long, long time. For him, he can look at shorter deals. It leaves flexibility for him to not get locked into a bad situation. If the cap keeps going up and up and he remains a top player in the game, that'll be beneficial for him financially. I'm not going to say an 8-year deal can't happen, but it doesn't seem likely. He's more inclined to take something in the mid-range, whether that's 3, 4, or 5 years. It's in the Leafs' best interest to get him signed as long as they can because of what he means to the Leafs, and Shanahan has said in the past he would like some of these guys to be lifelong Leafs. So the Leafs will pitch him on an 8-year deal, but I think it'll be a tough ask at this stage because he's already made that money, and no one knows how much the cap is going up.</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/FirstUp1050/status/1666052923170668546'> </a></blockquote></div> So, while a short-term contract seems better for Matthews, the Leafs want him to commit to a long-term contract. <h2>Matthews VS Toronto</h2> In the end, Matthews has the power to decide. If he doesn't like the Leafs' offer, he can choose to play for another team. The Leafs would prefer to have Matthews signed for a long time, but someone might have to make compromises. For example, Matthews might have to give up some contract benefits, like a full No-Movement Clause, if he wants a shorter contract. Negotiations haven't started yet, but it's worth keeping an eye out for updates, especially before the July 1st deadline when his NMC become effective. As seen on Hockey Patrol - <a href='https://www.hockeypatrol.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/Massive-Details-Emerge-regarding-Matthews-Upcoming-Contract' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Massive Details Emerge regarding Matthews' Upcoming Contract</a>