In a new book by ESPN reporter Craig Custance, former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas revealed what he considers to be his biggest mistake during his tenure in Canada.
Despite the Leafs’ challenges regarding the future of their core four, Dubas defends the decision to sign John Tavares while regretting how he handled the contracts of William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.
“I think the biggest mistake I’ve made in my time here has been not taking care of the three contracts that are still on,” Dubas told Custance for his book, according to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. “(William) Nylander was up, (Mitch) Marner and (Auston) Matthews could have been done with July 1 extensions.”
Dubas admitted that the timing of the Tavares deal affected negotiations with these players. The Leafs GM signed Tavares to a seven-year, $77 million contract in July 2018. He acknowledged that the deal had significant ramifications, but it was more about the timing of the deal than the deal itself.
“What I learned was that once we signed John to (AAV), the whole ceiling was lifted,” Dubas said.
Dubas admitted that once Tavares was signed, the salary cap rose, complicating subsequent contract talks, including those related to Marner’s expiring contract and his potential trade out of the organization.
Maple Leafs’ Nylander, Marner and Matthews contract negotiations
The negotiations for Nylander, Marner and Matthews are living proof of the difficulties Dubas faced and how signing extremely large deals can affect the future of sports franchises.
Nylander’s contract was finalized at the last minute just before the deadline, potentially forcing him to miss the 2018-19 season. The forward signed a six-year, $41.4 million extension in 2018.
Meanwhile, Marner held firm before signing his six-year, $65.41 million contract in September 2019. These almost consecutive opt-outs reflected the challenges Dubas had to face and how much he was forced to perform.
Matthews, meanwhile, ended up with a five-year, $58.2 million contract, the highest on the team, signed in February 2019.
Both Matthews and Nylander have already extended their contracts with Toronto by signing new, hefty deals. Nylander most recently signed an eight-year, $92 million contract on Jan. 8, 2024. Matthews got a four-year, $53 million deal on Aug. 23, 2023.
The only pending free agent among the group is Mitch Marner, whose days in Toronto appear to be numbered.
The Mitch Marner situation and trade speculation
Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs is uncertain at the moment. Despite another disappointing playoff performance, Marner expressed his desire to remain in Toronto.
“That would be a goal. I’ve expressed my love for this place, for this city. Obviously, I grew up here. We’ll start thinking about that now and trying to find a solution… It means a lot to me,” Marner said on May 6.
However, Marner is entering the final season of his contract and the Maple Leafs must decide whether to trade him now or risk losing him for nothing in July 2025.
However, Marner’s no-movement clause further complicates potential trade deals, as any transaction would require Marner’s approval to go through.
NHL insider Chris Johnston weighed in on Marner’s future on a July 8 episode of the SDPN podcast.
“It’s probably a little bit more likely that he leaves than that he signs an extension, but not significantly so. If we were setting the betting lines now, the favorite would be that he leaves as a free agent,” Johnston said.
The Maple Leafs organization has been relatively silent regarding Marner’s situation. Speculation about his future will, reasonably, only increase until there is an official announcement regarding his future, whether it be through an extension or a trade.
Marner had 26 goals and 59 assists in 69 games during the 2023-24 season, but could only manage 3 points in 7 postseason outings.
