Report: "Financial Gap" Exists in John Tavares Contract Talks with Maple Leafs

While most observers of the Toronto Maple Leafs are wondering what will come of contract negotiations with Mitch Marner this season, there's another notable Leaf who's also a pending unrestricted free agent after the current campaign.

In the case of John Tavares, many believe that these negotiations are "less complicated" because the former captain has made it clear he has no interest in leaving his hometown team. Nevertheless, says insider Chris Johnson on TSN's Insider Trading, the two sides aren't close right now, and a "financial gap exists."

But he also goes on to suggest a possible solution that's being considered to get the two sides to come closer together.

To this stage, negotiations haven't gotten to the point where everyone's comfortable with the deal on the table. I think one thing that's popped up as a possibility here is using deferred salary compensation as a way perhaps to bridge some of the financial gap that exists today.

The Maple Leafs did use the deferred method when getting defenseman Jake McCabe's extension done last month, so it's something they know can work.

Estimates on Tavares's number on a new deal range anywhere from $5.5M to $7M AAV, per Johnson, though the deferral method could ease things for the Leafs.

The 34-year-old is having another surprisingly strong season, maintaining his close-to a point-per-game pace that he's produced for most of his time with the Leafs, and in fact, for most of his 16-year NHL career. Tavares has 9 goals and 20 points in 21 games this year. That's a 35-goal, 77-point pace.

"Given the dynamics at play, it wouldn’t be surprising if the sides landed on a compromise that sees some of the money deferred beyond the life of the next contract," concludes Johnson in his latest column for The Athletic.