Matthews, who earned a base salary of $925,000 on an entry-level deal, was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1. The deal, which is front loaded with signing bonuses, is worth $58.17 million and makes Matthews the second-highest paid player in the league next to Connor McDavid. McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers superstar, signed an eight-year, $100 million contract extension in 2017, giving McDavid an average annual salary of $12.5 million through the 2024-25 season. Consider that in 2017 the Buffalo Sabres signed their franchise player, Jack Eichel, to an eight-year, $80 million deal for an annual cap hit of $10 million. Last season, Matthews missed chunks of action due to injury, and scored 34 goals in 62 games.

Source: Forbes February 05, 2019 19:59 UTC