Elliotte Friedman reported this weekend that the NHL and the NHLPA will have conversations about the salary cap under a new CBA. Friedman noted during Saturday Headlines that negotiations could raise the cap to as much as $95 million, even $97 million, starting as early as next season. How will that affect the Toronto Maple Leafs and their offseason plans? The answer is, potentially in a big way.
What’s The Story with the Salary Cap?
Friedman noted that the league could decide to keep the cap increase as projected, and around $92 million. However, because previous negotiations set the cap at conservative levels over concerns about revenue during COVID, a jump could come sooner than later to make up for the lower projections. Because revenues have far exceeded the guardrails put in place, there is expected to be a massive hike in the salary cap.
The NHL and NHLPA could apply the jump to the 2025-26 or 2026-27 season. Why does that matter? It matters because several teams have big contracts and decisions coming up, including the Maple Leafs.
The Mitch Marner Situation
Mitch Marner‘s situation in Toronto has been a subject of public debate for some time now. A pending unrestricted free agent who is hoping to stay but wants the kind of money that Auston Matthews and William Nylander are making, speculation is that the Leafs might not want to go that high. Some fans have suggested it’s time to move on, but Marner is elite, showing just how good he is with Matthews currently out of the lineup.
If the Maple Leafs are even slightly uncertain about paying Mitch Marner $12–$13 million per season or considering a different path this summer, a significant increase in the salary cap could ease their concerns. If the cap rises to $95–$97 million next season, the additional $3–$5 million could offset worries about the impact of giving Marner a $3 million raise, making it less of a burden for the organization.
Marner, meanwhile, could easily argue he’s worth a certain percentage of the cap, lobbying for just under what Matthews is making. A $97 million cap gives the Leafs a reason to say yes.
What About John Tavares?
When John Tavares gave up his captaincy, not many people likely expected he would turn out to be one of the more productive and effective forwards in 2024-25. He’s got 17 points in 18 games and it looks like the pressure being…
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