Mitch Marner & John Tavares Contract Talks Take an Interesting Turn
Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares are due for new contracts and as you can imagine, there is some anxiety around their situations.
Mitch Marner has been an absolute monster this season as he has 56 points in 41 games and is currently on pace for a career-high 112-point season.
Meanwhile, John Tavares has been solid for his age, notching 40 points in 40 games which is a point-per-game pace.
Mitch Marner and John Tavares make it hard for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Both players are up for contract extensions, and there has been extensive reporting about what the Maple Leafs plan to do.
Of course, the team would prefer to keep both players around for many years, however, they are facing a pretty tough conundrum.
Tavares is playing so well that he is likely going to command a lot more than what the Leafs wanted to pay him. Meanwhile, Mitch Marner could be looking at a $13-$14 million AAV deal.
According to Chris Johnston of TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs are still negotiating with both players.
However, if July 1st comes around and Marner still does not have a deal, he is expected to test the market.
There's ongoing dialogue between the Leafs and the agents for these players, but it hasn't progressed to the point of exchanging official offers. It remains a process that's unfolding over time.
For Mitch Marner, if the timeline gets close to July 1, it might make sense for him to explore his options. Meanwhile, John Tavares is in a different position.
He clearly wants to stay in Toronto, but doesn't mean he'll do «for free».
His next contract will reflect his stage in his career and will look very different from Marner's next deal, no matter where Marner signs.
There's still a possibility these contracts could be finalized during the season, though there's no indication that anything is imminent.
This would be pretty devastating for the Maple Leafs as they want to keep Marner around for a very long time.
Only time will tell whether or not they are able to retain both Tavares and their leading point-getter.
