NHL notebook: Leafs, Matthews ink 5-year extension

Toronto Maple Leafs All-Star center Auston Matthews agreed to terms on a five-year, $58.17 million contract extension, the team announced Tuesday. The $11.634 million average is the second highest behind Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid ($12.5 million). Toronto's John Tavares, who signed with the Maple Leafs as a free agent in the offseason, dropped to third at $11 million. The 21-year-old Matthews currently is earning a base salary of $832,500 in the final season of a three-year, $11.325 million deal.

Matthews could have become a restricted free agent after the season but said he was intent on reaching a deal to stay in Toronto. He said contract lengths from three to eight years were discussed before both sides settled on five. Matthews has scored 97 goals in just 182 games over his first 2 1/2 NHL seasons. He has 23 goals and 23 assists (46 points) in 38 games this season and made the All-Star team for the third straight season.

--Edmonton defenseman Oscar Klefbom returned from a broken left pinky when the Oilers hosted the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Klefbom missed 21 games due to the finger injury suffered Dec. 11, when he blocked a shot by Sven Andrighetto of the Colorado Avalanche. He underwent surgery to repair the damage.

Klefbom had 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 31 games this season entering Tuesday. --Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler suffered a concussion from a hard face-first fall on Monday night and will be out for at least one week, coach Travis Green told reporters.

Edler spent the night in a Philadelphia-area hospital after being wheeled off on a stretcher during Vancouver's 2-1 loss to the Flyers. Green told reporters that Edler didn't suffer any facial fractures but needed stitches due to the fall. Edler suffered the injury during the first period of Monday's game when his skate got caught in the stick of Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek. The 32-year-old Edler lost his balance and was unable to brace for the fall, and his face slammed right into the ice.

--Field Level Media

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