NHL Atlantic

After negotiations were relatively quiet all summer, it appears David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins are making progress on a new deal for the superstar winger with training camp well under way.

Contract discussions between the Bruins and Pastrnak are "heating up," TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of Insider Trading.

Dreger added that "both sides are assessing the market right now" and that Pastrnak is "clearly hopeful" that something will get done sooner rather than later.

The news comes after NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently told Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts Podcast (h/t BosHockeyNow's Jimmy Murphy) that Pastrnak's camp was open to contract negotiations during the season.

There had been speculation over the summer that the Bruins could trade Pastrnak, but he essentially put those rumors to rest, telling reporters earlier this month that he would love to sign an extension with the Bruins:

"This city is where I got the chance to become the player I am, to become the human being I am. Boston, the organization is an unbelievable part of it. I came here as a kid and now I’m a man. I’m extremely happy. A lot of great memories. I’ve said many times I love it here and it’s an honor to wear this jersey.”

The Bruins selected Pastrnak 25th overall in the 2014 NHL draft, and he's considered one of the biggest steals of that draft class. He signed a six-year, $40 million deal with the Bruins in September 2017, and his deal is expected to expire after the 2022-23 campaign.

With the way the NHL market is trending, Pastrnak will become one of Boston's highest-paid players if he inks a new deal with the franchise, joining star defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who agreed to an eight-year, $76 million deal with the franchise in October 2021.

Since making his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season, Pastrnak has tallied 240 goals and 264 assists for 504 points in 510 games. His best season came during the 2019-20 campaign, when he scored a career-high 48 goals to capture the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer. He also notched 47 assists.

In addition, the 26-year-old has found tremendous success in the postseason despite not yet capturing a Stanley Cup, tallying 30 goals and 44 assists for 74 points in 70 games.

Pastrnak enters the 2022-23 season with high expectations after he tallied 40 goals and 37 assists for 77 points in 72 games during the 2021-22 campaign.

He's expected to be one of Boston's top scorers again alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, though with the return of David Krejci, he could play alongside his fellow countryman and Taylor Hall to begin the season.

The Bruins open the season on Oct. 12 against the Washington Capitals.

The phrase “hot take,” represents a few things these days. To me, it’s still best defined as something that could happen, but isn’t particularly likely to happen.

For reference, if you were to predict any team that landed in the 2021-22 regular season top five as this year’s Stanley Cup Champion, I’d call that a cold take. If you were to predict any of the bottom five this year’s Stanley Cup Champion, I’d consider that a scorching take.

Takes, of course, exist on a spectrum, and you can always tell the difference between a hot take that someone genuinely believes, and a hot take born for the purpose of being a hot take.

With that said, I like to think of my “hot takes” on a scale from one to five fire emojis. One is a relatively mild take that is debatable, five is something I think most people would disagree with. All takes from 1-5 need to be things I genuinely believe, though.

Without further ado, here are my most passionate hot-but-real takes headed into the 2022-23 season

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The Ottawa Senators make the playoffs

The Ottawa Senators have been going through one of the most bizarrely manufactured quasi-rebuilds ever since their last playoff appearance in 2017. You know it’s bad when the only reason I’m even referring to it as an intentional rebuild is because at this time last year, GM Pierre Dorion publicly declared that not only was a rebuild happening, but that the rebuild was already over.

Spoiler alert: It was not. The Senators ended the season 26th in the league.

At least while the NHL club was falling apart through no fault of the players still left, the organization was building a pipeline of some pretty exciting potential stars. And would you look at that, the Senators gave up one of their favorite stars–cap space–and had one of the strongest off-seasons in the league, acquiring Claude Giroux, Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot among others.

Is the rebuild actually over now?

I’m not totally sure, and I will never claim to understand the inner workings of the Ottawa Senators, but things are looking good.

New @Senators teammates Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux) and Alex DeBrincat (@Brinksy97) were on the ice together... 👀

(🎥 @BringBackLee) pic.twitter.com/iqLeNuKwIb

— NHL (@NHL) September 1, 2022

Heat check: 1.5 flame emojis 🔥 (editor's note: just imagine a half-flaming emoji with this one)

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Coyotes University isn't an absolute dumpster fire

Listen, the fact that the Arizona Coyotes will spend at least the next few years playing in a college hockey arena with a 5,000-person capacity is an objective failure on multiple levels.

But we get it at this point.

We’ve read all the think pieces, tweeted all our jokes and rolled our eyes at the Canadian media’s pearl-clutching relocation columns.

Now that we’ve accepted the reality of the situation, we can make the best of it. I don’t know about you, but I fell in love with this sport growing up around Boston going to college hockey games. There’s nothing like a tightly packed arena full of a few thousand people who actually want to be there. It kind of feels like one of the best-kept secrets you didn’t even realize you were in on.

Not only could the close-knit environment inspire some young Arizonians to get into the sport, but it might give a team dealing with quite a few setbacks a reason to wake up every morning and try.

Besides, who wouldn’t want to attend a hockey game at a place called Mullett Arena?

Heat check: 4 flame emojis 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

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Matt Murray succeeds in Toronto

I’ll start this out by saying the word “succeed” in the context of the Toronto Maple Leafs means different things to different people. This is not a “will-they-won’t-they exit the first round” prediction, and for the record I don’t define a second-round exit as success. (I don’t think they do, either!)

This is more about the trajectory of Murray’s career and the role he could play with the Leafs. Murray has had a few tougher seasons after his strong start with the Penguins, and he hasn’t been able to return to the Cup-winning performance he twice put up. Obviously sharing a net with Marc-Andre Fleury and generally being part of the Penguins dynasty greatly contributed to said Cup-winning performance, but Murray was no passenger in that endeavor.

He’s had a down few years on the Senators, but who among us can blame him? He was also very open about how hard the loss of his father was in 2018. He’s clearly shown us he can handle the spotlight, and the Leafs look better than ever.

This feels like the best chance 28-year-old Murray has at righting the course of his career, and I think he can do it. I don’t think he (or anybody) will single-handedly lift the Leafs past the first round, but I think he will be low on the Totem Pole of blame if they can’t get it done.

Heat check: 4 out of 5 flame emojis 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

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Moritz Seider wins the Norris

This is a good example of a mild take that I believe in so much that it becomes sort of hot. Yes, Seider won the Calder last year and he’s on everyone’s radar. Yes, he’s only expected to get better.

I’m sure he’s on most people’s pre-season Norris watch lists, but how many people think he’s going to win it all? Count me in as one.

We’re in a golden age of young defensemen who can put up points, and let’s be real, the Norris winner has become a defenseman who can score a lot of points. I think Seider is going to be the perfect medium between the modern high-scoring defenseman and the big, gritty shot-blocker, and everyone can agree on a player like that.

Heat check: 1.5 out of 5 flame emojis 🔥

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Elias Pettersson has the best or worst season of his career

Is this multiple hot takes stacked on top of each other in a trench coat? Maybe. After a rough start and a lingering wrist injury last season, 23-year-old Pettersson ended with career highs in games played (80), goals (32) and points (68) in 2021-22. He dipped below his usual point-per-game stats, but he exploded towards the end of the season, which bodes well for 2022-23.

But the Canucks aren’t playing around next season, and they’ve got some healthy competition down the middle with the season J.T. Miller had in 2021-22. Perhaps the Canucks get Pettersson away from top defensive matches on the second line and he flourishes, perhaps the competition works in his favor and he wins the first-line center role then flourishes. Or perhaps Pettersson fades away with less ice time.

There are so many varying possibilities when it comes to his upcoming season, and that’s why I think it’s absolutely crucial for him to have a career year.

Heat check: 3 out of 5 flame emojis 🔥🔥 🔥

Zdeno Chara's 25-year NHL career will come to an end Tuesday.

Chara announced on Instagram he will sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins to officially retire with the team he spent the bulk of his career playing for.

Zdeno Chara announces on Instagram that he is retiring after 25 seasons in the NHL.

He is signing a one-day contract to officially retire as a Boston Bruin. pic.twitter.com/NtOujBkUPl

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) September 20, 2022

Amid speculation about his future early in the offseason, Chara's agent, Matt Keator, told Matt Porter of the Boston Globe in June the 45-year-old was "going to take the summer with his family and assess where he's at physically, where his family's at, and make a decision in September."

A third-round draft pick by the New York Islanders in 1996, Chara made his NHL debut in 1997. He played for four different teams: the Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Bruins and Washington Capitals.

Chara was one of the best defensemen of his era. He made six All-Star appearances from 2003 to 2012, won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and won a Stanley Cup title with the Bruins in 2011.

After he spent 14 seasons in Boston from 2006 to 2020, the team informed him in his last year that he would not be re-signed. Chara decided to continue his playing career by signing a one-year contract with the Capitals.

However, he wasn't much of a factor with 10 points in 55 games. It was his lowest-scoring season since putting up nine points in 2000-01 with the Islanders.

The Isles brought Chara back on a one-year deal for the 2021-22 season.

Chara was named to the NHL's All-Decade second team for the 2010s. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic wrote this about the Slovakian star when he was named to the outlet's All-Decade squad:

"His career high of 52 points did come in 2011-12, but that's not what puts Chara in this elite company. It was his innate ability to completely shut down opponents using his long stick, smart positioning and knowing how to toe the line. He was a problem other teams had to solve, and it led to the Bruins scoring 57 percent of the 5-on-5 goals while he was on the ice in the 2010's, a mark unmatched by any of the other five defenders listed here."

Chara's history as a defenseman who is capable of scoring made him an intimidating presence on the ice for more than two decades. He will almost certainly be inducted into the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion announced Wednesday that the team signed Tim Stützle to an eight-year extension worth $8.35 million annually.

In just his second season in the NHL in 2021-22, Stützle had 22 goals and 36 assists in 79 games.

"Reaching a long-term agreement with Tim represents another significant step forward for this organization," Dorian said. "Tim is a dynamic offensive player who utilizes an exceptional blend of speed and skill to be a consistent difference-maker. He's electrifying and has quickly become a fan favorite for good reason."

After the Senators finished next to last in the Atlantic Division last year, the GM has been aggressive in making sure Ottawa not only makes the playoffs in 2022-23 but also is set up for the long term.

The team acquired Alex DeBrincat, who turns just 24 in December, from the Chicago Blackhawks and added more veteran experience by trading for Cam Talbot and signing Claude Giroux.

The deal for Stützle also follows fellow forwards Brady Tkachuk (seven years, $57.5 million), Josh Norris (eight years, $63.6 million) and Drake Batherson (six years, $29.9 million) getting long-term deals within roughly the last calendar year. Defenseman Thomas Chabot is tied down with an eight-year, $64 million contract as well.

The Senators are already seeing Dorion's aggressive approach pay some dividends.

"I can tell you that the season-ticket membership is the highest it's been in years," team president Anthony LeBlanc told Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan. "We've seen a significant, significant increase—and it all started, really, around the time when Pierre started making some trades."

LeBlanc said Wednesday season-ticket sales have climbed 60 percent.

The Senators still need to see all of their young talent make a breakthrough together, but it's impossible not to get excited about the future of the franchise.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is expected to miss the entire 2022-23 season because of a knee injury that has not responded well to treatment, general manager Kent Hughes told reporters Thursday.

Hughes added that it's unlikely Price can return to action by just rehabbing his knee and that an operation would be required. The veteran netminder will likely be placed on long-term injured reserve, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

Price underwent offseason knee surgery in the summer of 2021 and, while recovering, announced that he had voluntarily entered the NHL and NHLPA's player assistance program in October:

"Over the last few years, I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn't have the tools to cope with that struggle. I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance abuse. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do, and it was what I needed to do."

Due to a number of setbacks in his recovery, Price missed all but five games of the 2021-22 season. He went 1-4-0 in his return to the lineup with a 3.63 goals-against average and .878 save percentage.

Since putting pen to paper on an eight-year, $84 million contract in July 2017, Price has not lived up to expectations, posting a 91-86-24 record with a 2.77 GAA, .908 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 203 games, including 200 starts.

Through the first 10 years of his career, he was one of the best in the NHL, posting a 270-175-55 record with a 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage and 39 shutouts in 509 games (500 starts).

Price also won the 2014-15 Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender, won the 2014-15 Hart Trophy as the MVP and was also selected to the All-Star team in 2014-15. He hasn't finished among the top three in Vezina Trophy voting since the 2016-17 campaign.

The British Columbia native has four more years on his contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million. Placing him on LTIR will give the Canadiens more salary cap flexibility, which is greatly needed following the acquisition of Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames.

According to CapFriendly, the Habs are currently over the salary cap by $6.1 million.

With Price expected to be sidelined in 2022-23, the Canadiens will have to rely on a combination of Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault in goal.

Allen started 35 games for Montreal last season and posted a 9-20-4 record with a 3.30 GAA and .905 save percentage. Montembeault, meanwhile, started 30 games for the Habs and posted an 8-18-6 record with a 3.77 GAA and .891 save percentage.

Montreal finished the 2021-22 season with a 22-49-11 record and the team isn't expected to compete for a playoff spot this coming season either despite selecting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in the 2022 NHL draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash, the franchise announced Sunday.

"He's one of the best defenders in the NHL, he's a selfless player and a great leader. I would like to thank him for everything he's done for us," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters.

Tampa Bay's decision to move McDonagh was largely to clear cap space, as the 33-year-old is under contract for four more seasons with an average annual salary of $6.8 million.

If the Lightning buy out the remainder of Myers' contract, which has been speculated, they will have cleared more than $7.3 million in cap space, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. However, BriseBois told reporters Sunday that they don't plan to buy out the veteran defenseman and that they like his "toolbox," per The Athletic's Joe Smith.

That said, the Bolts are still over the salary cap by $933,333, per CapFriendly, and will need to clear more cap space if they hope to re-sign unrestricted free agents Ondrej Palat and Jan Rutta this summer.

Tampa Bay is currently set to head into the 2022-23 season with a defense that includes Myers, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, Zach Bogosian and Cal Foote. While that's not a bad group, the loss of McDonagh is a tough blow to the unit.

McDonagh spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Lightning after being sent to Tampa Bay in a trade from the New York Rangers, with whom he began his career, in February 2018. He played a key role in each of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021 and the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.

From 2020-22, the Minnesota native averaged 21:47 of ice time in 171 regular-season games, tallying nine goals and 41 assists for 50 points. He averaged 23:10 of ice time in 68 playoff games in that span, notching two goals and 16 assists for 18 points.

While McDonagh is undoubtedly past his prime, he still had a solid 2021-22 campaign, tallying four goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 71 games while averaging 22:27 of ice time, the highest he's averaged since the 2017-18 season.

McDonagh will now be tasked with helping anchor a Nashville defense alongside Norris Trophy finalist Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. It's unclear which pairing he will play on, but Josi and Ekholm will probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.

Even with the trade for McDonagh, Nashville has $18.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. That gives the Predators more than enough room to re-sign star forward Filip Forsberg, in addition to some of their other free agents.

However, the Preds could use an upgrade on offense even if Forsberg returns, so it's possible the franchise will look into some of the top available forwards when free agency opens.

As for the Bolts, Myers will probably be one of their bottom pairing defensemen. He tallied one goal and three assists for four points in 27 games with the Preds last season and had an underwhelming three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers before that, posting six goals and 23 assists for 29 points in 115 games.

Mismash spent the 2021-22 campaign with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, tallying six goals and 12 points in his rookie year. The 23-year-old will likely remain in the AHL for the 2022-23 season as Tampa Bay has plenty of offensive depth.

The Boston Bruins have finally found their replacement for Bruce Cassidy.

Boston is hiring former Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery as its next bench boss, according to Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. The deal is expected to be in the neighborhood of three years and $2 million annually, per ESPN's Kevin Weekes.

Former Bruin and current NHL player on Montgomery: “Jim Montgomery is great coach and even better person. The guys will love playing for him and he will make this team a contender.”

— Joe McDonald (@JoeyMacHockey) June 30, 2022

Montgomery was one of three reported finalists for the job, joining former New York Rangers head coach David Quinn and Seattle Kraken assistant Jay Leach, who previously coached the Providence Bruins, Boston's AHL affiliate.

The 53-year-old will become just the third head coach to be hired by the Bruins since 2007. Claude Julien coached the franchise from 2007 to '17, leading Boston to a Stanley Cup title in 2011, and Bruce Cassidy led the team from 2017 to '22.

Montgomery was hired as head coach of the Stars for the 2018-19 season and led the team to a 43-32-7 finish and a berth in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, he was fired just 31 games into the 2019-20 campaign for "unprofessional conduct."

Montgomery revealed one month after he was fired that he had entered rehab for alcohol abuse, calling the loss of his job a "wake-up call."

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1213189351552606208

Montgomery was hired as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues in September 2020 and served in the role over the last two seasons. With the Canadian assisting behind the bench, St. Louis reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Montgomery also served as head coach at the University of Denver from 2013 to '18. Under his leadership, the Pioneers reached two Frozen Fours and won an NCAA championship in 2017.

He also played college hockey at the University of Maine and appeared in 122 NHL games from 1993 to 2002.

Montgomery has some big shoes to fill in Boston after the Black and Gold surprisingly fired Cassidy following a first-round playoff exit to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Cassidy served as head coach of the Bruins for six seasons, compiling a 245-108-46 record. He led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of his six seasons behind the bench, including a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2019.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said at the time of Cassidy's firing that he believed the team would benefit from a "new voice."

ESPN's John Buccigross later reported during a radio hit with WEEI's Merloni, Fauria & Mego that Cassidy's handling of the development of younger players and his relationship with those players likely played a role in his firing.

Buccigross said, as transcribed by WEEI's Scott McLaughlin:

“Bruce Cassidy as a coach, he’s respected, great X’s and O’s guy, knows how to game plan, how to beat the other team. It’s elite, obviously, the amount of games he won as the Bruins’ head coach. … But his communication skills and people managing, for some, have been difficult to deal with. Kind of a running commentary on the bench, which players sometimes hear and maybe they think, ‘Jeez, I wonder what he’s saying about me.’ It’s not uncommon.

“… It’s a delicate thing. The motivational tactics he uses, certainly really harsh, on young players especially. And that’s the part which, probably as the Bruins are looking to go forward with perhaps a younger core -- I don’t want to call it a rebuild -- but his voice I think was growing tired. I think players probably in the exit meetings, from what I was told, kind of voiced their opinion about him."

Throughout their head coaching search, the Bruins appeared to prioritize coaches that had a solid repertoire with younger players. So, it's no surprise that Montgomery, Leach and Quinn were the finalists given their experience with younger groups.

That said, Montgomery will be tasked with not only managing younger players in Boston, but some seasoned veterans in Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm, among others.

The Bruins still have a lot of work to do to improve the team for a Stanley Cup run in 2022-23, and hiring a new head coach is only the first step in the process.

NHL free agency begins on July 13.

TAMPA, Fla. — Much has been made about the Colorado Avalanche's goaltending situation over the last month. The noise quieted down when Darcy Kuemper pitched a shutout in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but then he was pulled in Game 3.

Pavel Francouz took over after Kuemper allowed five goals in a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and some wondered whether the Avs might be inclined to give a start to Francouz, the goalie who helped Colorado sweep the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. Kuemper allowed 2.5 goals above expected in Game 3, so one can hardly fault Bednar for making an in-game switch.

But as far as making a change for Game 4, Bednar appears to be sticking with Kuemper, which is the right thing to do. It gives the Avs some stability and it reinforces the confidence the team has in Kuemper. He didn't outright say that he would be starting Kuemper, but he said it without really saying it.

"That’s one possibility," he said after the Avs practiced Tuesday at Amalie Arena.

Bednar has declined to confirm his goalies throughout the series, even though Kuemper has been in the starter's net in all three morning skates. It's a sharp contrast to Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, who has enthusiastically supported goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and emphatically confirmed his presence in the net each game.

But it's easy to announce your goalie when he's largely considered one of, if not the best, in the world. Vasilevskiy, the 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and the 2020 Vezina Trophy winner, is the backbone of the Lightning.

Kuemper and Francouz have been a tandem all season. While Kuemper is the clear-cut No. 1, Francouz is more of a 1-B than his counterpart in Tampa, 37-year-old Brian Elliott.

When Vasilevskiy gave up seven goals in Game 2, Cooper said he didn't even think about pulling him for Elliott. Meanwhile, Bednar didn't hesitate to go to the bullpen when Kuemper struggled in Game 3.

"I think it was probably more [coach Bednar] wanted to give us a little bit of a jump start by pulling him and putting Frankie in," Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson said. "But regardless of who plays, like you've seen all playoffs both guys have stepped up in the situations that they've been asked to and whoever's in the net, we're confident in. But I expect Darcy to bounce back like he always has for most situations."

The 31-year-old Kuemper was injured midway through the first game of the Western Conference Final and the Avalanche turned to Francouz, also 31, who backstopped Colorado to a sweep of the Edmonton Oilers. Though he had some shaky moments in that series, the Czech netminder had a very good season and performed admirably in seven postseason games.

He posted a .916 save percentage in 21 games (18 starts) in the regular season, and has a .906 save percentage in the postseason.

"Really versatile. All season long once he got healthy, he'd play stretches of games, he'd have big breaks in between games and come in in relief. He's continued that in the playoffs and been really steady, a calming influence on our team," Bednar said. "He's played really well when we put him in the net. Really happy with what he's been able to do, especially through the playoffs with ramped-up intensity. He keeps himself ready."

Nothing against Francouz, but changing goalies now would be a panic move on the part of Bednar. The Avs are up 2-1 in the series, so there is no need to worry right now.

The way Bednar stood by his goalie after the loss in Tampa on Monday night and calmly addressed the media on Tuesday, one wouldn't come away with the impression that he was looking to make a drastic change.

Francouz might have better numbers right now, but it's been in limited appearances. Kuemper is conditioned for this kind of workload.

"I think as a goalie that won't be the last time he gets pulled," Johnson said. "He's been pulled before, goalies get pulled all the time. They respond well, Darcy has been pulled in the regular season before and he responded great. Just like a player you're gonna make a mistake and it won't be the last mistake you ever make. It’s a game of mistakes and I think with Darcy he's responded every time he's been pulled."

We have seen extreme speed and high-level playmaking in this series. Vasilevskiy even allowed seven in Game 2. It's not time to change the goalie. At least, not yet.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has won the 2021-22 Hart Trophy as the player viewed to be the most valuable to his team, it was announced Tuesday. He beat out Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the honor.

MVPAPI! pic.twitter.com/00w49VmY8B

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 21, 2022

Auston Matthews is first @MapleLeafs player in 67 years to claim the Hart Trophy. @AM34 is the third player in franchise history to claim @NHL MVP honors, following Ted Kennedy (1954-55) and Babe Pratt (1943-44). #NHLStats: https://t.co/gMUuQjy2dM pic.twitter.com/BEU5c1dghq

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 21, 2022

2021-22 Hart Trophy voting pic.twitter.com/2yxd9j84lZ

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 22, 2022

This marks Matthews' first Hart Trophy victory, and he is the first Maple Leaf to win the award since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55. He was also nominated for the award during the 2020-21 campaign but came in second behind McDavid.

Matthews had a dominant season for the Maple Leafs, scoring a career-high 60 goals and 46 assists for 106 points in 73 games. It was his third consecutive season with at least 40 goals, and he has never scored less than 34 goals in each of his six seasons.

The 24-year-old's efforts helped Toronto finish second in the Atlantic Division with a 54-21-7 record. The team's 54 wins and 115 points were the most in franchise history.

The Maple Leafs selected Matthews first overall in the 2016 NHL draft, and he has been one of the best forwards in the league since. He has tallied 259 goals and 198 assists for 457 points in 407 games.

In addition to winning the Hart Trophy, he won the 2021-22 Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer and the Ted Lindsay Award. He also won the Rocket Richard during the 2020-21 season and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie during the 2016-17 season.

Matthews signed a five-year, $58.2 million deal with the Maple Leafs in 2019 and will be a free agent after the 2023-24 season. Based on the way he's been playing, he'll be in for a massive extension worth more than the $11.6 million annually he makes now.