As the Mitch Marner saga drags on, and the Toronto Maple Leafs themselves remain silent, we’re left to try and interpret the situation through rumours and propaganda, of which there is a lot:
-Marner won’t sign for longer than five years.
–Marner wants Auston Matthews money.
– Marner doesn’t care about other comparables.
This is all we really know, and we don’t even really know if it’s true, but I think it’s at least fair to say that this is Marner’s negotiating position.
So what do the Leafs do?
Short Term Is Smart
For a player, signing a series of short-term contracts that keeps you in line with the salary cap escalation, and rewards you for your accomplishments (as opposed to guessing what those accomplishments might be and paying you accordingly) is the best thing you can do.