The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a busy offseason adjusting their roster and coaching staff after another early playoff exit. Free agents were added and extensions were signed.
With most of the heavy lifting done on improvements to the lineup, the focus has shifted to the future. Specifically, which players with expiring contracts should be signed to extensions? John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Jake McCabe, and Matthew Knies are important parts of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they have a year left on their current deals. Tavares, Marner, and McCabe are eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, while Knies will be a restricted free agent.
The 2025-2026 season will see another increase to the NHL’s salary cap. The cap maximum will rise to $92 million, up $4 million from 2024-2025.
It presents a fascinating scenario for the Leafs. They will have more salary cap space than they have had in years. With it comes more opportunity and flexibility to mold the roster around Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, and Joseph Woll. So which of Marner, Tavares, McCabe, and Knies should Treliving be pushing to sign an extension?
Ranking extension candidates of the Toronto Maple Leafs
The topic of a Tavares extension was broached at the press conference coronating Matthews as the Leafs new captain. Unsurprisingly, Tavares chose to provide little detail on the possibility.
Tavares brings leadership, goal-scoring, and face-off ability to the Maple Leafs, but the team should not rush to sign him to an extension. The prodigal son returning to help his hometown in their quest for glory is a good story, but Father Time is looming.
The Leafs are best to let Tavares play out the 2024-2025 season and see where his level of play is. His future is likely as a third-line center or shifting to the wing. Committing money to an almost 35-year-old with a possible decline upcoming would be unwise. An extension for Tavares is the least urgent for Maple Leafs management.
