Star center Auston Matthews signs a four-year, $53 million agreement with the Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews has signed a contract that will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL.

A four-year, $53 million agreement was signed by the NHL's top center on Wednesday, keeping him with the organization that picked him first overall in the 2016 NHL Draft until the 2027–28 campaign.

Beginning in 2024–25, Matthews will earn the most money in the league according to the contract, which has an average annual value of $13.25 million, surpassing Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6 AAV.

Matthews still has one season left on the five-year, $58.2 million deal he signed in February of this year, which could have allowed him to enter unrestricted free agency in the summer.

Matthews wrote on X, the social networking platform that replaced Twitter, "I feel fortunate to continue this journey as a Maple Leaf in front of the best fans in hockey." I'll use every effort to get us to the summit of the mountain.

A league-best 60 goals helped Matthews win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2021–22 and the Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy for the second time in a row.

The Scottsdale, Arizona, native's statistics in 2022–23 showed a small decline, although he still scored 40 goals in 74 games for an 85–point campaign.