Elliotte Friedman Reports $97M Salary Cap: What Can the Maple Leafs Do with This Increase?
With the potential of the salary cap rising to upwards of $97M, the Toronto Maple Leafs could use that extra money to keep things together or change it completely.
There has been a ton of discussion regarding the amount of money the salary cap will increase and how it will affect the league going forward.
The world was a completely different place when they announced their initial increase, and no one knew how the league would bounce back. But bounce back they did and now are thinking of making an even bigger increase.
It was reported per Elliotte Friedman during Hockey Night in Canada's "Saturday Headlines" segment, the NHL was in discussions about making a huge increase to the cap:
However, Friedman explained the NHL was not only thinking of making an increase to nearly $93M in 2025 but that they could do something even wilder:
So with a potential increase to nearly $100M, how can the Maple Leafs use this extra wiggle room?
Re-sign Mitch Marner ASAP
Well, they don't need defense that's for sure. They've locked up their Top 4 for the next few seasons and with Joseph Woll secure and an Anthony Stolarz extension presumably done in the summer, the focus turns to a couple of different options.
Their first order of business should be Mitch Marner, who is going to not only be an unrestricted free agent this summer but one that is going to command an absurd salary.
Current projections have Marner making anywhere from $12-14M per season, and while Toronto hasn't had success beyond the regular season, there is no doubt Marner has been a key factor.
A player of Marner's caliber can't risk being lost without doing due diligence to make sure he sticks around and Brad Treliving needs to make sure he fields a proper offer.
With all the talks surrounding the potential AAV of Marner's deal, I propose a $12.75M offer.
It's a sweet spot between 12 and 13, and offers a contract similar to the Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon deals. It's enough to show Marner they mean business, but also don't break the bank if they need an extra bit of liquidity.
Leon Draisaitl bet on himself and the Oilers paid him and it's more than likely that Marner will do the same, and Toronto has a tough choice to make.
If Toronto decides to move on from Mitch Marner they could always use the money to sign their next future superstar for the long-term.
Matthew Knies' Meteoric Rise
Matthew Knies is really, really good at hockey. Coming into his own last year, Knies has shown that he's a key piece to Toronto's identity in such a short amount of time.
A scoring threat who moves like lightning and is built like a giant, Knies has proven that he's just as crucial as Marner even though he offers something different.
If Toronto wants to move on from Marner, they could focus on signing Knies and making sure no other team can jump on him. If Toronto was serious they would offer Knies an 8-year, $44M deal.
That leaves Knies with an AAV of $5.5M per season, not only a steal for the Maple Leafs but it tells Knies that he's earned this and there's only more to come. He doesn't break the bank and keeping a player like Knies for so long can reap incredible results.
He hasn't proven he's worth $7-8M yet but he's getting there, and giving him the stability to focus solely on improving himself and the team while knowing they have the utmost confidence in him; the sky's the limit for Knies.
John Tavares And The Mystery Of The Hometown Discount
While the header reads like a Nancy Drew story, there is an honest cloud of mystery surrounding John Tavares' future with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Also a free agent at the end of the season, Tavares has made known his desire to stay in Toronto for the rest of his career and has endeared himself as a legend on and off the ice.
But he does cost $11M currently, and while there's no way Brad Treliving will field that (neither will any team frankly). But Tavares isn't dumb, and as much money as he's made for his career, he knows there's still more to be made.
Toronto can't afford to sign him long-term though, he's no longer at that point in his career. Taking a year-by-year approach is the smartest bet, and gives both Tavares and Toronto the ability to gauge how things are going.
Toronto is not going to ask Tavares to take the league minimum, but they should try and persuade him to think of the future. He can still contribute and has shown he can be a leader even without the captaincy, but it's not $11M worth.
If I was Toronto I would offer Tavares a 1-year pact worth $6M. It's just more than half of his current wage but it still tells Tavares that he has value even at 36.
While it may be egregious to pay Tavares more than Knies, Tavares is a proven veteran and deserves to be paid as such, but not paid like one of the league's elite.
He's a huge asset to Toronto and re-signing him is crucial for keeping a high morale in the locker room and being a trusted veteran for Toronto's youth to turn to.
Just Do Something Toronto
The Maple Leafs may have a few extra million to play with next season, but they shouldn't go crazy. Brad Treliving needs to look at what Toronto's needs are and focus there.
Re-signing Marner, Knies, and Tavares are the three key things Brad Treliving and Toronto need to do. If he slips up on any one of those, it could cost everyone in the future.
They need to act quickly and not live up to their status quo of being too late, or too complacent to get things done. They've lost out before, and can easily lose out again if they aren't paying attention.
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