One of the disadvantages of playing in a market like Toronto is the fact that you are swamped by media attention, however one of the major advantages of playing in a market like Toronto is the fact that you are swamped by media attention.
Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is about to reap the rewards of that round the clock coverage as according to TSN senior correspondent Rick Westhead , Matthews is on the verge of signing a big money deal.
CAA Sports’ hockey division, which represents the first-overall pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft, is in discussions with online sports retailer Fanatics and others about an exclusive licensing agreement.
Fanatics Authentics, the company’s memorabilia division, wants to become the sole distributor of authentic Matthews-signed memorabilia, including some game-worn pieces.
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The source said that deal would be worth as much as $300,000 per year for Matthews. Matthews could make as much as $3 million per season if he took full advantage of his popularity with prospective corporate sponsors, the source said.
Needless to say this would mean a significant raise in pay for Matthews who is currently on a three-year entry-level deal, even when hitting all performance bonuses Matthews only caps out at $3,775,000 per season on average as per Cap Friendly.
Fanatics also has exclusive deals with 10 high profile NHL players that include names like Alexander Ovechkin, Claude Giroux and fellow rookie Patrik Laine, so it sounds like there is a high probability this one gets done.
