Maple Leafs reportedly know the price to keep star player alongside Auston Matthews with Mitch Marner set to leave Toronto

The drama is only just beginning for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The organization has reportedly found out how much it will cost to keep a crucial veteran in town. Auston Matthews and company are already set to lose Mitch Marner, and keeping another core player is paramount to the team’s morale for the upcoming NHL season.

The Maple Leafs have gone through the wringer in recent months. Following their gut-wrenching postseason exit, Matthews and Toronto are set to endure a turbulent summer. The pressure keeps building in The Six—and it may have reached a boiling point.

Now, heads will roll after the ‘core-four’ failed to deliver on the Stanley Cup expectations. Marner is pretty much considered an unrestricted free agent already, but he might not be the only key departure. John Tavares, the former captain, is now facing critical hours with his NHL future at stake.

Pen to paper

After buzz emerged suggesting the two parties were far apart in contract negotiations, new reports indicate the Maple Leafs are aware of the price to keep Tavares—it remains to be seen whether they’re actually willing to foot the bill.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) during the Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens game at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.

“I believe if the Maple Leafs put a four-year, $5M deal in front of John Tavares, he would sign it,” insider Elliotte Friedman stated on TSN.

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Mitch Marner has reportedly turned down two serious suitors for his future beyond Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs

Summer of ’25

Matthews and the Maple Leafs better put on some sunscreen—it’s going to be a long summer in Toronto. They’ll be exposed not only to the UV rays, but also to the brightest spotlight. This upcoming NHL offseason might be one the Leafs will remember for a long time.

“I think this could be a bit of a drawn out summer for the Maple Leafs,” insider Chris Johnston said on the Chris Johnston Show. “There could be deals in August. It could be a work in progress right into training camp.”