from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

Auston Matthews, who didn’t score a goal against the Florida Panthers in the playoffs, will soon be the highest-paid player in the history of the National Hockey League.

That won’t happen for another season. But the pressure that has always surrounded Matthews, the pressure he has dealt with rather comfortably in his seven seasons with the Maple Leafs, will intensify come April — and every April after that for the duration of his deal.

This is just a beginning in a way for Matthews and the Leafs. We know the prime of his career will be played in Toronto. That much is certain now with his new four-year, $53-million extension with the Leafs, nicely equipped with the perfunctory no-movement clause.

Now it’s up to Matthews to make it count in a way that Hart Trophies, Rocket Richard trinkets and the individual hardware that he has earned matter less than victories in the post-season. The deal took almost 11 weeks to reach fruition. The negotiation was challenging, as many are.

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