Matthews: Contract talks with Maple Leafs are underway

Open up the vault, Maple Leafs.

Contract talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews are underway, the star forward told Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

Matthews still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, which will pay him $925,000 in 2018-19. He will then be a restricted free agent after next season and has been eligible for a contract extension since July 1, 2018.

It's unclear how much Matthews will be paid, but an eight-year deal with a cap hit somewhere between Jack Eichel's $10 million and Connor McDavid's $12.5 million seems realistic.

The Maple Leafs have another RFA to take care of this offseason, too, in Matthews' linemate William Nylander.

In addition to Matthews, Toronto will also have five more RFAs next offseason: Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, Josh Leivo, and Connor Carrick.

Not only would a Matthews extension this summer make the Leafs' plans next offseason simpler and clearer, but a massive 2018-19 campaign and a rising cap could tack on a couple more million if a deal is signed next year instead.

Since becoming the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews has emerged as one of the league's premier centers, recording 74 goals and 132 points in 144 career games.