Mitch Marner is a Toronto Maple Leafs player and will continue to be one for at least the next six years.
That is flat out good news, regardless of the cost and the salary cap implications, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t delve into the ramifications of Marner’s sky-high $10.893 million cap hit.
Simply put, Marner signing for significantly more than originally anticipated just a few months ago puts the Leafs into a tough bind for this upcoming season. They have flexibility thanks to the long term injured reserve eligible contracts of Nathan Horton and David Clarkson, but it’s going to be uncomfortable and potentially force some unique roster construction.