Evan’s NHL Daily: Kovalenko A Captain, Matthews Surpasses MacKinnon

Auston Matthews will soon be the highest paid player in the NHL, as the contract extension he received on Wednesday will pay him more on an annual basis than what Nathan MacKinnon’s new deal gives him. The contracts are a little different, though.

In the KHL, Nikolai Kovalenko will be one of the captain’s for Igor Larionov’s Torpedo squad.

All that and more in this Thursday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Pretty quiet day, but we got our first peek at Miles Wood in Avalanche colors.

In Russia, Valeri Nichushkin got out and paid a visit to Traktor hockey academy and while there, donating a good chunk of his money.

Kovalenko A Captain

Nikolai Kovalenko didn’t start last season as a Captain on Torpedo, as he was new to the squad, but towards the end of the year, he got an “A” on his jersey. This year, he’ll start with one, as he was named one of the three captains for Igor Larionov’s KHL squad.

Nikolai Kovalenko will (again) be one of the Captains on Torpedo. pic.twitter.com/VsaXGvk8mg

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) August 23, 2023

Of course, if all goes according to plan, this will be his last season in the KHL for quite a while.

Around The NHL

Nathan MacKinnon is going to be the highest paid player in the NHL this year, but this year will be the only year he can claim that…not that he really cares.

On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs locked down Auston Matthews to an extension that will soon make him the highest paid player in the league.

Auston Matthews 4x$13.25 extension in Toronto

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 23, 2023

It’s an interesting contract. At least with MacKinnon, the Avalanche locked him up for 8 years. Matthews is getting paid more money, but the Leafs had to settle on less term. Their window to win is pretty small, especially with William Nylander’s contract also up next summer.

For Matthews, it’s smart business. He gets a huge contract, and will be able to snag another massive contract before he even turns 30.

National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh: When his contract is up in two years, what will Sidney Crosby get? Will he even want to keep playing?

Philadelphia: The Flyers fans are demanding, and their assistant GM says that’s a very good thing.

Montreal: An early look at potential battles at camp for the Canadiens.