Say what you will about the timing of this prediction, but contract talks seem to be a focal point in any market in the NHL under the hard cap. This is more so the case, however, in a market driven by the heavy cap hits of their core five players as is the case with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Now, Brad Treliving has come in and locked up both Auston Matthews and William Nylander for the foreseeable future and while that certainly makes the majority of the fanbase happy, question marks now circle around two particular players and their futures beyond their current contracts. One is star forward Mitch Marner. The other is 33-year-old captain John Tavares who has one year left on his contract beyond this season.
While the cap is increasing which will give the team some breathing room as their cap constraints have limited their recent activity both in season and during the offseason, Tavares future with the team remains a question mark beyond the 2024-25 season. With that in mind, what if the Maple Leafs decided to re-sign the veteran forward? What would a contract for him look like if he was willing to come back to the Maple Leafs on a discounted contract?
Here’s a look at how that contract could break down.
Tavares’ Current Contract Carries Weight
In the current climate of the NHL, Tavares contract does carry some weight on the Maple Leafs. Especially because they have their hands tied with the current breakdown of their cap. As for their leader, he’s in the sixth year of a seven-year contract signed back in the summer of 2018 with one year left at $11 million.
At the time he signed the contract, it made up for 13.84 percent of the Maple Leafs’ cap with their young stars still on earlier deals in their respective careers. What makes this contract even more favourable for Tavares is that it has carried a no-move clause since the day it was signed and that doesn’t change until it expires following the 2024-25 season.
As it stands, Tavares is the second-highest paid player on the roster this season behind only Matthews and will sit third behind Matthews and Nylander next season. That said with Marner due for a contract after 2024-25 as well, Tavares will have to take a pay cut to remain a member of the Maple Leafs moving forward.
Maple Leafs Could Re-Sign Tavares For Cheap
Gaging both sides, there seems to be interest in a renewal of some kind when his contract expires. Let’s face it, Tavares will be on the verge of turning 35 when his contract expires and while he could still be a useful centre, it likely will be in a bottom six role.
now, he’s lived up to every dollar of his current contract based solely off offensive numbers. In his six seasons with the Maple Leafs, he has 168 goals and 389 points in 407 games — almost averaging a point per game. This season he’s seen a slight decline with just 13 goals and 35 points through 47 games, but it’s still impressive considering he’s 33 and playing second fiddle to the team’s young stars.
Assuming he continues to digress offensively over the next season and a half, Tavares and the Maple Leafs could be looking at a new contract affordable for the team and acceptable for the player. But what exactly would that look like?
Currently, when it comes to 35+ contracts in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin is the top paid player over that age with a cap hit of $9.5 million and a salary of $12.5 million. From there, it’s quite the drop off to Evgeni Malkin at a $6.1-million cap hit and $6-million salary and Kris Letang’s $6.1-million cap hit and $8-million salary.
