Auston Matthews is willing to wait in order to sign a long-term deal with the Maple Leafs, which means he isn't sure if his extension will be completed by the time Toronto begins its season Oct. 3.
"I don't know if I'll sign a new contract before the season or not," Matthews said, according to NHL.com's Dave Hogg. "I'm not really involved with the talks. That's something being dealt with by my agents and team management. They've told me that it will get done when it gets done, and that's fine."
Matthews is entering the third, and final, year of his entry-level deal. He's set to become a restricted free agent following the season but revealed that discussions between his agent Judd Moldaver, of the Orr Hockey Group, and Toronto began in late July.
The 20-year-old, who missed 20 games due to injury, tallied 63 points for Toronto last season. Like Winnipeg's Patrik Laine, who was selected second overall at the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews seems content with waiting to finalize a contract. Toronto's hands are full with Matthews, Mitch Marner, who could become a restricted free agent, and current RFA William Nylander.
MORE: William Nylander wants long-term deal, but contract talks moving slowly with Maple Leafs
First-year general manager Kyle Dubas continues to be adamant about keeping the trio intact moving forward, telling Sportsnet that the Maple Leafs "can and will" be able to sign the team's leading scorers.
John Tavares x Auston Matthews 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/qYdtOcTknY
— Bar South N Celly™ (@BarSouthNCelly) July 10, 2018
Despite the negotiations, Matthews is focused on the Maple Leafs season, which comes with a vast amount of expectations. Toronto is already the favourite to win the 2019 Stanley Cup, according to the latest odds released by OddsShark; while Matthews and John Tavares are among the favourites to claim the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league's Most Valuable Player.
Matthews said he's already hit the ice with Tavares, who enters the first season of his recently signed seven-year, $77 million contract.
"We skated a couple times in July, and then he was gone for a while, but he's back now," he said. "I already knew from playing against him that he's a great skater and he's so skilled. Everyone in the League knows what kind of player he is."