Report: Maple Leafs Have "Clear Line" They Won't Cross for Mitch Marner AAV

We've heard about the continued insistence of the Colorado Avalanche to refuse to go above their 'internal cap' of $12.6 million AAV in negotiations with impending unrestricted free agent Mikko Rantanen. It sounds like the Toronto Maple Leafs are drawing a similar line in the sand in their talks with Mitch Marner.

According to insider Pierre LeBrun, speaking on TSN's Overdrive, the Leafs have made a "clear line of demarcation" for Marner's next deal that they will not go over.

It really comes down to this: I don't think the Leafs feel that they can or will pay more than $13M (AAV), maybe $12.5M. Is that good enough for Marner?... I think that's the clear line of demarcation, $13 million a year.

In the Avs' case, they're refusing to pay Rantanen more than their resident superstar Nathan MacKinnon, who is into the second season of his eight-year, $12.6M AAV deal. For Toronto, the $13M max is obviously a desire to keep Marner under captain Auston Matthews' $13.25M AAV. That kicked in this season, with four total years to run.

LeBrun goes on to say that the 'tea leaves' say to him about Marner that "I think he actually really, really can't see himself in any other uniform but the Toronto Maple Leafs, but is trying to follow his agent's advice (to wait this out)."

The real stumbling block here in the negotiations is that the cap keeps going up, and it's going to take a big jump next year. And while the teams keep looking at AAV in their negotiations, the player's agents are looking at the percentage of the cap.

Matthews' $13.25M is 15.06% of the cap. But with the cap going up to $92M+ next season, 15% of that is $13.8M. Is that what Marner's camp wants? And therein lies the root of the problem. The two sides are not talking the same language.

On the ice so far this season, Marner is doing everything he can to push up his price, and the Leafs' desire to keep him, as he's currently second in the entire NHL in assists with 45, and fourth overall in points, with 59. Just one point back of... yup, Rantanen.