Auston Matthews contract extension delay holding up an extension for another star center

The lack of movement towards getting Auston Matthews and William Nylander signed to their lucrative new extensions hasn't just caused problems in Toronto. There are a handful of other teams who are currently awaiting the details of those deals before completing contract extensions with their star forwards as well. According to Harman Dayal of The Athletic, one of those teams is the Vancouver Canucks, who are dealing with paused negotiations as franchise center Elias Pettersson has decided to wait for Matthews to sign before proceeding.

At present, the latest reports have suggested that Matthews will sign a 3-5 year deal in the $13M-$14M range, depending on the term. On a 5-year deal, he's likely to come in closer to that $14M number, according to multiple credible NHL insiders.

Pettersson, like Matthews, is entering the final year of previous contract, which he signed before the 2021-22 season. Pettersson's last deal saw him earn $7.35M, so he'll be looking for a substantial raise on his next deal - likely not as high as whatever Matthews' AAV will wind up being, but it may not be all that far off.

Pettersson enjoyed a breakout season in 2022-23, racking up an astonishing 102 points in 80 games for the Canucks, including career highs in goals (39), assists (63) and points. Still just 24 years old, odds are that his best days still lie ahead.