The Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed with star center Auston Matthews on a five-year extension worth $11.634 million annually.
Matthews, 21, has 23 goals and 23 assists in just 38 games this season.
Matthews will have the second-highest average annual value in the league behind Connor McDavid‘s $12.5 million. Matthews’ teammate John Tavares is now third at $11 million. And the Leafs have three of the top seven with William Nylander‘s new deal carrying a $10.28 million cap hit.
Toronto still has to come to terms with forward Mitch Marner, who is in the final year of his rookie contract and leads the team with 63 points in 52 games.
Matthews was the first overall pick of the 2016 draft and has been an All-Star in each of his three seasons. He had 40 goals as a rookie and 34 last season when injuries limited him to 62 games.