Toronto Analyst on Maple Leafs Contract Talks: "Terrified Of Living Without" Their Stars

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of huge decisions upcoming on the futures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares. On a recent discussion on TSN Sports Radio in Toronto, analyst Bryan Hayes suggested that the Leafs are "terrified of living without" their best players, and that's why they always cave to them in contract negotiations.

The Leafs could have signed pending UFA Tavares to an extension before the season even started, but whatever that number was at that time, it's never coming back. With the huge boost in the salary cap announced by the NHL, and the renaissance season had by Tavares, his number has just gone up.

Hayes, on TSN's Overtime, said this week that he is worried that the Leafs will just give in and simply give their former captain whatever he wants—because they're scared not to.

I’m not convinced the Leafs won’t just say, ‘All right, we've just got to do it. What are you comfortable with, John? We’ll give it to you.’ Their history would suggest that could happen. That’s how they operate when it comes to the best players. The players win the deal, and they’re terrified of living without them.

I don't know what the (salary) number is, (but) maybe (Tavares says), 'I need a four-year deal at this price'. They may just say, ‘Fine, we’ll give it to you.’ They might do that.

It's happened with Mitch Marner (the first time), with William Nylander (two times), and with Auston Matthews. But the reasoning to not do it again is obvious, and it's been confirmed by several winning teams over the last 12 months, who have the confidence to just say, 'No.'

During last summer's free agency period, the Tampa Bay Lightning let franchise icon Steven Stamkos go. The Vegas Golden Knights let playoff hero and fan favorite Jonathan Marchessault go. And more recently, at the trade deadline when extension talks hit an impasse, the Boston Bruins let Brad Marchand go. All because those teams drew a line in the sand and simply wouldn't cross it.

"I would like (the Leafs) at some point to say, 'We can’t operate that way'," Hayes continued. "'We've got to operate like the best teams do, which is what Florida does, Tampa does, Vegas does. This is what we’re comfortable with. If you really want to be here, then you've got to sign it. If not, we’ll live without you'. That’s the way you've got to operate.”

Before the season began, it looked like a three-year deal at about $6-$7M would have gotten it done for Tavares. Now? 36 goals and a massively escalating salary cap later? Who knows?

So will the Leafs stand their ground—on either Tavares or Marner—this summer?

History says one thing. The analysts are pining for another.