Nathan Mackinnon has held that honour for a few months, ever since he signed his $12.6-million annual extension, but it is more than safe to say that Matthews will command more than that.
Matthews currently makes $11,640,000, and will be due for a significant raise, however, some NHL insiders are indicating that that raise may be less significant than we all thought.
If Matthews considers that if he wants to win, he might have to take a discount, he could take much less than $15-million. In fact, Maple Leafs Insider suggests a long-term deal worth $13,334,000 annually.