Sports - Maple leafs sign forward Mitch Marner to record contract
By Zach Batia
The National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that they have signed restricted free agent winger Mitch Marner to a six year, $65.358 million contract with an average annual value of $10.893 million, as outlined in a report from NBC sports.
The signing comes in the opening days of Leafs training camp following an excruciatingly documented summer-long holdout from the star winger. As a reward for his efforts, the 22-year old Marner walks away with one of the most player friendly RFA deals in history. The deal carries the 7th highest cap hit in the entire league, while the six year term will allow Marner the opportunity to sign another contract at age 28.
The signing puts the final bow on an impressive summer for Toronto GM Kyle Dubas, but the top-heavy Leafs find themselves with 3 of the 7 largest contracts in all of hockey with Marner now joining centres Auston Matthews and John Tavares in the 8-figure range.
The six year term is not ideal for the Leafs, who had been hoping to buy more UFA years, but was the longest term Marner's camp was willing to sign for. Of the 25 NHL contracts with an average annual value surpassing $8.5 million, 23 are signed for max term. The other 2 are Marner and Matthews.
The Leafs now enter the season as bona-fide cup contenders having retained all of their core pieces, but the front office will be tested once again following this season as the entire defence safe for stalwart Morgan Rielly will be up for new deals, as detailed further by Forbes. The leafs window to win is now.
By Zach Batia
The National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that they have signed restricted free agent winger Mitch Marner to a six year, $65.358 million contract with an average annual value of $10.893 million, as outlined in a report from NBC sports.
The signing comes in the opening days of Leafs training camp following an excruciatingly documented summer-long holdout from the star winger. As a reward for his efforts, the 22-year old Marner walks away with one of the most player friendly RFA deals in history. The deal carries the 7th highest cap hit in the entire league, while the six year term will allow Marner the opportunity to sign another contract at age 28.
The signing puts the final bow on an impressive summer for Toronto GM Kyle Dubas, but the top-heavy Leafs find themselves with 3 of the 7 largest contracts in all of hockey with Marner now joining centres Auston Matthews and John Tavares in the 8-figure range.
The six year term is not ideal for the Leafs, who had been hoping to buy more UFA years, but was the longest term Marner's camp was willing to sign for. Of the 25 NHL contracts with an average annual value surpassing $8.5 million, 23 are signed for max term. The other 2 are Marner and Matthews.
The Leafs now enter the season as bona-fide cup contenders having retained all of their core pieces, but the front office will be tested once again following this season as the entire defence safe for stalwart Morgan Rielly will be up for new deals, as detailed further by Forbes. The leafs window to win is now.
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