"You want that guy on your team" - Morgan Rielly wants Auston Matthews to stay in Toronto at all costs

The Toronto Maple Leafs will make some changes this offseason, and signing Auston Matthews to a new contract extension will be one of their top priorities, as mentioned by new GM Brad Treliving earlier this month.

Auston Matthews is set to enter the final year of his current $58.1 million contract, which he signed back in 2019. The upcoming season holds a no-movement clause for Matthews, granting him the opportunity to negotiate a new deal starting from July 1st.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly has spoken about his teammate, saying that he wants Matthews to stay with the Maple Leafs regardless of the details of the deal, but that he hopes Matthews is signed.

"As a friend, a teammate, you name it, you want that guy on your team," Rielly told NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. "I think he loves playing in Toronto, so if he comes back - long-term deal, short-term deal, whatever it is - we'll take it. He's a great player and helped our team tremendously over the years."

"I've got to know him, and obviously, his skill level and who he is as a player is extremely high level."

Matthews currently has the fourth-highest cap hit in the league at $11.64 million. If he signs a new contract, Matthews' cap hit could exceed $12.6 million, making him the league's highest-paid player, surpassing Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

How has Auston Matthews fared with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Florida Panthers v Toronto Maple Leafs - Game Five

Matthews was the first overall pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. In his opening season with the Leafs, Matthews proved why is among the greatest players in the league, scoring 40 goals in his rookie season and becoming just the fourth teenager in the league history to accomplish this feat.

Since being drafted, Auston Matthews has spent his entire career donning the jersey of the Maple Leafs. He's played seven seasons in the league and with him on the squad, the Maple Leafs made it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.

Matthews has racked up 542 points (299 goals and 243 assists) in 481 career games. He ended the 2022-23 season as the leading goal scorer tying him with William Nylander with 40 goals.

In his career, Auston Matthews has been honored with the Calder Memorial Trophy (2017), Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (2021 and 2022), Hart Memorial Trophy (2022), and the Ted Lindsay Award (2022).