Is Toronto Maple Leafs Star Mitch Marner Worth A Larger Cap Hit Than Other 'Core Four' Players?

Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner continues to put up an elite regular season. It's coming at a great time for him, as he becomes a UFA after the season and can cash in on his performance.

In 27 games before Tuesday night's game in New Jersey, Marner has 10 goals and 28 assists for 38 points. He's leading the Maple Leafs in scoring by 10 points, and he's even leading in even-strength and power-play production.

The question arises as a result – should Marner get as much or more money than others in the Leafs’ “Core Four” of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares?

At first glance, the answer to that question is complex.

For starters, we’d say “no” to Marner making as much as captain Auston Matthews, who is earning $13.25 million for each of the next four seasons. Matthews is Toronto’s best player, and his salary should be the high bar for the present and future.

That said, we’d suggest Marner is worth a higher cap hit than star right winger William Nylander's $11.5 million annually through 2032. Nylander has 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points in 27 games, averaging 19:23 of ice time to Marner's 21:40.

Marner’s annual salary feels like it should be around $12 million right now – a solid raise from the $10.9 million he's earned since 2019-20. But if Marner tries to get as much or more than Matthews, the Leafs must be prepared to walk away from Marner and try to get him to waive his no-move clause and trade him.

Of course, some people will demand Marner give the Maple Leafs a huge hometown discount. That would be fair if you were talking about star center John Tavares, who is 34 years old and is at the end of his prime.

But Marner is only 27 – meaning his best days are still ahead. And with the salary cap ceiling projected to increase to between $95 million and $97 million, there should be room to accommodate Marner somewhere in the $12 million range while giving left winger Matthew Knies a hefty raise as well.

Marner is proving yet again that he’s a crucial component of Toronto’s day-to-day competitiveness. He’s as creative as anyone in the game, and his two-way play is first-rate. He and Nylander helped keep the Maple Leafs winning when Matthews was injured.

That said, there's a balancing act Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving must make with Marner. There's room for $12 million, but pushing it to $13 million or more will make it more difficult to round out the rest of the roster. He is important to the Maple Leafs future, but he's not Hercules.

Whether the Maple Leafs will end up wanting to give him $12 million or more remains to be seen. As Ryan Kennedy said in Tuesday's episode of The Big Show, Marner can head to NHL free agency on July 1 and see his options, even if he's happy in Toronto and there's a collective willingness to re-sign.

It will prevent the Maple Leafs from attempting to lowball him if Marner isn't interested in signing a team-friendly deal that lacks a no-trade or no-move clause, but if the Maple Leafs decide they're done waiting and sign someone else, he'll have no shortage of clubs interested in his services, likely for even more than $12 million annually.

It’s a complex negotiation, but that’s life in Leafs Land.

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.

Related: Opinion: Matthew Knies Is The Maple Leafs' Best Power Forward Since Gary Roberts

Related: With Leafs' Marner Thriving, Toronto Brass Must Convince Him To Take Team-Friendly Extension