Can you explain how he messed up, also Marner taking anything under 10/10.5 let alone 8.8 is insane

Pretty much on the spot...if Matthews would be signed 6 x 10M i dare to bet Marner would take 7 x 9M

I don't see Marner taking 20% less than Tavares/Matthews. He's worth an offer sheet for more, I think 2 firsts, a second and a third, but he is an elite player. Also we're at $80,000,000 and have a decent amount of slots left. Geez. Likely to see Kadri moved for a bag of donuts to make cap room, and then you lose Kadri. Kapenen probably reluctant to sign a one year deal at that number, but maybe.

Let me do it for him

MATTHEWS ( major fail )

in my books 7 x 11M at season start cause 69 + 63 + "75" and riding on hype ( otherwise points-contribution would make him 8M max )

Lets say for the sake of argument Matthews is as good as McDavid ( he isnt, but still )

McDavid signed 8 x 12,5M in 2017, which would be 13,7M in 2018 with Cap raise ( 6% ) and rounded to 10% cause of "inflation".

8 x 13,7M
7 x 12,5M
6 x 11,3M
5 x 10,1M

The above should be logical descending contracts for Matthews ofc after he would score 100 points in his second season and rolling another 100 this season. You can figure the overpayment in $$ / years of contract by yourself. Maybe not even a tragedy if it wouldnt make precedens for all the other contracts to be signed.

Two other names come to mind ....Draisaitl and Eichel, both marked as centers, both signed 2017-2018, both considered overpayment... so ideal comparables to Matthews

Draisaitl.............51 + 77...............8 x 8,5M ( 128 points in first two seasons, 198 with third ).........again if he would sign in 2018 with same stats, it would be 8 x 9,4M..........so 5 x 6,5M ( on spot )
Eichel.................56 + 57...............8 x 10M ( 113 points in first two seasons, 177 with third ).............again if he would sign in 2018 with same stats, it would be 8 x 11M..........so 5 x 8M ( overpayment )
Matthews..........63 + 69...............5 x 11,6M ( 132 points in first two seasons, 205 with third )

2M overpayment on this if Matthews would be McDavid's level and what i can read from this contract is he is the greedy one ( not Nylander ) and wants to hit UFA asap and move to whoever gives him more.....so another minus from me on his account from TML fan perspective

After those 5x 11,634M Chiarelli looks like genius with McDavid and Draisaitl 8y contracts......

Ppl here waveing around with : Matthews just gave TML a discount with his 5 x 11,634M ( on top of 63 + 69 seasons ) cause he asked for 8 x 13M ( again on top of 63 + 69 seasons ) and thats his mercifull bowdown to help TML with cap troubles in 2019/2020. 8 x 13,7M is McDavids money if he signed in summer 2018 instead 2017. And hes not McDavid.

Matthews logic of helping TML : 8 x 13M
........................................................7 x 12,6M
........................................................6 x 12,1M
........................................................5 x 11,634M

Each year of Matthews from 6 to 8 is worth 455k.......i mean