COMMENTARY – BE CAREFUL
Photo: Toronto Blue Jays
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
It’s a great day to be a Leaf fan!
If you are one, then take time to enjoy it because they don’t come around that often.
Wednesday’s news that Toronto star Auston Matthews signed a four-year contract extension through 2028 making him the NHL’s highest-paid player is all kinds of great.
Personally, I loved that Matthews released the news himself on Twitter. If If was a pro athlete I’d use social media exclusively to deliver my message.
Secondly, it ends the ‘Will he?’ or ‘Won’t he?’ drama and maybe Toronto sportstalk radio can talk about something else for a change. Although they’re already bemoaning the fact the deal isn’t longer, like the 8-year deals which are en vogue with stars of Matthews’ ilk. Get a life guys, and be grateful.
Thirdly, and most importantly, it puts the Leafs at the top of the table in the NHL’s Atlantic Division and maybe even the entire East.
This bunch has learned some real painful lessons with Matthews in tow since he was taken #1 overall in 2016. I’d be as happy as anybody if they win a Stanley Cup during this deal, ending the 1967 drought.
With this news I’m sure happy for Leafs fans, who we laugh at more than we hate. I remember arena ushers in Florida asking me during the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring if they had anything to worry about with Toronto fans. They had to toss out 37 drunk and disorderly Boston Bruins fans in Round 1 and weren’t interested in doing it again.
I said no, Leaf fans are just annoying. But they’re not dangerous.
And fourthly, what’s it say about first-year Leafs GM Brad Treliving, to be able to keep a star and negotiate the most lucrative contract (per season at $13.25M) in NHL history? In Calgary, some still blame him for ruining the Flames.
I’d suggest it says you’d better be careful who you run out of town.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
You nailed it again! Was NOT Treliving’s fault…….
He was not the issue in Calgary. He reminds me of Joe Torre in baseball. Tree has had to made due working for 2 of the biggest dog t#$d organizations in Phoenix and Calgary. It truly does not get worse than that. I believe he had pressure to hire Daryl Sutter and just the utter disrespect he showed those players. Old school to me means accountability. I believe if organizations continue to recycle dinosaurs this day will come. The NHL will have a Latrell Sprewell/P.J Carlisimo beat down incident and there will be no witnesses in a room full of… Read more »