Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours. The Toronto Maple Leafs have six forwards on the NHL roster who are pending UFAs. That includes stars, John Tavares and Mitch Marner. Both these players have been stepping up for the Maple Leafs during a time when the team is extremely short-handed. Over the last two weeks, Toronto has been missing plenty of forwards. After Wednesday’s loss to the Florida Panthers, the number of unavailable forwards grew to eight because Bobby McMann left the game with a lower-body injury.
Lately, Marner and Tavares are playing like they want to get paid next year. However, negotiations for the two stars may come with some complexity.
Marner and Tavares Negotiations
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston on Insider Trading, it’s likely that Marner and Tavares will re-sign with Toronto. Although it’s likely for the two stars to be back next season, the conversations for new deals have not been linear. Furthermore, the negotiations for each of these players have been more than about money and contract terms. With that, Tavares and Marner’s contract negotiations are completely different situations.
Marner’s Situation
Marner is the holy grail of pending free agents on the Maple Leafs. Even on a broader range, he’s one of the biggest UFAs in the NHL. Other players who can compete in that classification are forward Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche and goaltender Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers. Those players will also be seeking large contracts with their respective teams, especially with the salary cap projected to increase.
Rantanen is a contract comparable with Marner, as their contract negotiations are similar, according to LeBrun. Right now, Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon lead their teams in terms of their average annual value. Matthews earns $13.25M per year, and MacKinnon earns $12.6M per year. It’s been reported that Leafs general manager Brad Treliving wants to keep Marner’s contract below Matthews’. Colorado’s general manager, Chris MacFarland, is also preaching that to his players.
However, both Marner’s and Rantanen’s agents believe their clients can be offered a bigger deal if they hit free agency. In addition to that, their agents are not looking for a specific number of dollars. They are more interested in the percentage of the salary cap as a reference point. Therefore, that’s why Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris believes he should earn more than the Leafs captain. That’s where negotiations are with those players, Marner specifically.
Tavares’ Situation
There is a little less friction in negotiations for Tavares, according to Johnston. Both sides want to make a deal happen. However, given the fact the former captain is 34 years old, Treliving wants to make sure that it’s a deal and number that makes sense for the team. Therefore, there is a creative solution that the Leafs general manager is leaning towards.
Toronto has proposed giving deferred money to Tavares. This means that on top of whatever salary they give to the six-time all-star, he will be paid when his contract ends. This is an uncommon practice in the NHL because most players like the idea of earning immediately. However, it’s not unheard of, as Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a deferred money deal in his last contract. For Tavares, it makes a little more sense. This is because his next contract is likely the last one of his career. Therefore, agreeing to earn deferred money would set him up for retirement in a way. More importantly for the Leafs, this would bring down his cap hit.
Main Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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