The Toronto Maple Leafs will be a team to watch this offseason due to their notable pending free agents.
The Maple Leafs have Mitch Marner and John Tavares as pending free agents. Marner will be the top free agent available, and the website Puckpedia allows users to predict free-agent signings. One user has Marner leaving the Maple Leafs but has Toronto signing Brock Boeser to a seven-year, $45.5 million deal.
The deal would be for $6.5 million per year for seven years for the star winger, which does seem like a fair deal. It would be a much cheaper option than Marner who will likely get $14 million per year over seven years.
Boeser is currently in the final year of his three-year, $19.95 million deal. Although he’s making $6.65 million per year, he does get the length, which would bring the dollar amount down, but Boeser seems likely to get around $7 million per season.
Boeser has recorded 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points in 71 games. His career-high is 40 goals and 33 assists for 73 points, which he did a year ago.
Marner, meanwhile, is leading the Maple Leafs in points and will be in line for a massive contract. He’s recorded 24 goals and 70 assists for 94 points in 76 games.
Maple Leafs’ Marner Not Discussing Contract
Marner’s future with the Maple Leafs is a major question mark ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Marner has opted not to discuss an extension all season, and all signs point to him hitting the open market. However, speaking in an exclusive interview to The Athletic, Marner has made it clear he’s just focused on hockey and not his contract or future.
“I’m here to just play hockey,” Marner said. “That’s what I expressed (to the media) at the start of the year and express now. It’s a business out there. I know what’s going on. I’m just here to play hockey. I’m here to enjoy everything and go through the ups and downs with these guys, and just take it day by day and try to help us win games… Like I said, I’m here to play hockey. That’s what I’m here to do. I’ll leave it at that.”
Marner was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NHL draft and has been a key member of the Maple Leafs’ core. However, after nine years with Toronto, he could be playing his final games for his hometown team.
Insider Expects Boeser to Walk in Free Agency
If Marner does leave in free agency, the Maple Leafs will have plenty of options to replace him, like Sam Bennett, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Boeser.
Boeser is in the final year of his deal with the Vancouver Canucks and NHL isnider Frank Seravalli believes the star winger will walk in free agency.
“I don’t have any doubts and I’m not saying it’s going to be exactly 50 [million], whether it’s 46 or 45 or 50, 48, he’ll be just fine. I’m not speaking for him because I haven’t talked to him, but I say the thought process I would have is, if that’s the way this team I’ve been incredibly loyal to is going to talk about me, then I’d rather take 44 from somewhere else than 41 here or 42 here,” Seravalli said on Sportsnet 650 radio.
Seravalli and DailyFaceoff rank Boeser as the second-best free agent available behind Marner.
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