TORONTO — Put together a gift basket, Leo Carlsson.
Send a thank-you note, Macklin Celebrini.
Give the man a high five, Connor Bedard.
Auston Matthews walked so future restricted free agents could run.
Way back in the 2010s, when the Toronto Maple Leafs star centre signed his first post-entry-level contract, the negotiating ground for elite young forwards shifted.
Previously, the prudent path for both management and franchise player was to sign for as much money and as much term as the CBA would allow.
Matthews, under advisement from agent Judd Moldaver, broke the mold with his landmark five-year deal in February 2019. That the then-21-year-old’s new $11.64-million AAV did not include UFA seasons and potentially walked him to the open market in his mid-20s was a game changer.
And now that a new wave of elite centres is coming of age under a spiking cap, we are seeing the ripple effects.
Carlsson, Celebrini and Bedard each inked monster five-year extensions this summer that will set themselves up for a Matthews-like double or triple dip. They’ll hit UFA status and, health willing, a second financial windfall before their 30th birthday.
Smart money, too, is on defenceman Quinn Hughes (UFA 2027) to follow Matthews’ lead as a pending UFA in 2023. Hughes is believed to be aiming for a three-year extension in Minnesota, while the Wild would rather push for four or five more seasons.
Matthews re-upped with the Leafs for four seasons and $53 million, bringing his career earnings to $92.79 million. Under a mostly flattened cap. All while setting himself for a second crack at UFA status at age 30.
At the time of both Matthews’ post-ELC signings, the player and more so the team (then managed by Kyle Dubas) was criticized for not maxing out term.
Today, the realization that superstars hold all the leverage has sunk in.
Celebrini will have already banked $96.93 million by the time his next deal comes due, in 2032. He’ll be 26 years old.
Why not follow the Matthews model, re-sign for about four years, and go for the triple?
Then write that thank-you letter on gold paper.
Rielly still a Maple Leaf, really
Surprising to some, the longest-tenured Maple Leaf remains so.
With training camp opening in under two weeks, Morgan Rielly is set to push summertime speculation behind him and embark on his 14th season in Toronto.
Our take: After the San Jose Sharks traded for Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse, taking on the entirety of the lefty’s $9.25-million cap hit through 2029-30, Rielly’s most suitable landing spot was scooped.
With the AAV of puck movers on the rise, GM John Chayka won’t — and shouldn’t — eat money or add a pick to trade Rielly. And the player still holds a full no-movement clause and must agree to a trade. (Rielly’s protection gets downgraded to a 10-team no-trade list for 2028-29 and 2029-30.)
Chayka wants more speed and puck movement from the back end, and we don’t see any obvious candidates from the Marlies jumping up to steal Rielly’s 21 minutes.
Ever classy and beloved by his teammates, the 32-year-old won’t make this situation more uncomfortable than it needs to be. But his role and likely production will be reduced (and complicated?) by Darren Raddysh’s arrival as power-play quarterback.
It is imperative that Rielly get off to a strong start or a segment of the fan base will turn. A healthy Chris Tanev soaking up D-zone starts is also imperative. And a familiar coach in Jim Hiller should help some. Rielly’s game did not mesh with Craig Berube’s dump-and-chase style of play.
“I spent four great years with Morgan,” Hiller said. “I have a ton of respect for him as a person and a player. I am looking forward to coaching him. I am more than happy to have Morgan Rielly on the blue line.”
Salming’s legacy timeless
Rielly is a bit of a watch guy, so we’re curious if he’ll snap up The Salming 1148 — a limited-edition timepiece unveiled last month at the Hockey Hall of Fame by Borje Salming’s children.
The first of a maximum 1,148 Salming watches (a nod to the defenceman’s total NHL games played) was donated to the Hall in conjunction with Glenn Healy and the NHL Alumni Association, and is on proud display at Front and Yonge.
All four of the Swedish legend’s children — sons Anders and Rasmus, daughters Teresa and Bianca — flew to Toronto for the unveiling and spoke lovingly about their dad’s career and unique style.
Before his death to ALS in 2022, the King himself began designing the watch in 2018 with longtime friend and entrepreneur Mats Kullenberg. Salming insisted on the black dial and suggested the second hand be in the form of the CN Tower.
The first 100 watches have been reserved exclusively for NHL players, and Salming’s fellow alumni have been offered a discount on the timepiece.
“It feels authentic and genuinely looks like something that belonged to him. That’s when you know the design is successful,” Salming’s oldest son, Anders, said. “When you look at it, you immediately think, ‘This is Dad.’ ”
Privileged to spend some time at the Hall speaking with Salming’s children, their adoration for Toronto and their father’s connection to the city was palpable.
“This watch was a labour of love for my dad. He was already playing around with different designs for it before he got sick,” Anders said. “Dad would have been so proud to see his vision come to fruition.
“Just like we still are of him.”
Great hire
A smart, under-the-radar off-season pickup by Chayka: snagging Andy O’Brien as vice president of the Leafs’ sports performance department.
In addition to working with championship teams in Pittsburgh (2016, 2017) and Florida (2024, 2025), O’Brien has long served as the personal trainer for Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and several other NHL stars.
O’Brien and Tavares evaluate his needs and priorities each year, then the athlete attacks.
“It’s not the training program that has allowed him to be successful,” O’Brien explained in a phone interview before joining the Leafs. "It’s just the way John approaches being a professional. He’s just very detailed, focused. He’s very coachable.
“He’s somebody that’s very good to interact with. He asks great questions. He’s very much a student of his process. And that’s happening in his nutrition. It’s happening on the ice. It’s happening off the ice. It's just a tremendous amount of attention to detail and consistency. Effort. And I think that’s what makes John, John.”
O’Brien raved about the humility of the NHL’s 38th-overall all-time goal-scorer. Tavares’s ability to stave off Father Time doesn’t surprise him.
“Never takes anything for granted. With those types of players that are all in and are very open-minded and are very good to work with, they typically have a resiliency that really defines them,” O’Brien said.
“For John to go through certain seasons where there’s a little bit of decline, you can almost guarantee he’s going to bounce back and he’s going to adapt. He’ll think through it and make observations and understand what needs to be modified or changed across the board, and then he’ll be able to adapt that way.”
Despite his age (35), the O’Brien-trained Tavares was the only Maple Leaf to play all 82 games last season.
The more you know!
Carney got chirps
Prime Minister and noted Edmonton Oilers fan Mark Carney couldn’t resist a Maple Leafs joke when talking about … Via Rail cars.
Yes, regional hockey rivalries will forever link us like the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Not going back to Calle
Calle Järnkrok’s 13-season NHL run — which touched four teams, included a trip to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final in Nashville, and lasted 774 games — has seemingly come to an end.
The Swedish free agent rejoined his hometown and original pro team, Brynäs IF, in the Swedish Hockey League and reflected on the end of his four-year term in Toronto.
“Last year, I came in and felt in great shape. I scored … and then (coach Craig Berube) put me in the stands. It was a bit weird,” Järnkrok told Mans Karlsson of HockeySverige.se.
It was a bit weird.
Järnkrok, a bottom-six utility man, was the only Maple Leaf to score in each of the club’s first three games of 2026-27. Two games later, he was a curious healthy scratch and managed to appear in just 56 games.
“It’s the GM and the coach who decide, but it was an uphill climb,” Järnkrok said. “I did well but wasn’t allowed to play (more). It was tough to motivate myself and keep going.”
To be fair, the 34-year-old Järnkrok scored just three more goals and added a couple assists the rest of the way. His minus-15 tied a career low and he received little interest from the rest of the league as a rental option at the 2026 trade deadline.
