Steve Dangle drops wild John Tavares-Maple Leafs extension idea owing to Brad Marchand's 4-year/ $8M AAV rumoured deal

By R. Nikhil Parshy

Modified Jun 16, 2025 11:14 GMT

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Brad Marchand's historic playoff run for the Florida Panthers might be a driving factor and a benchmark for a number of free agency contracts up for grabs in the offseason. The primary amongst them would be John Tavares, who shares somewhat of a similar age bracket with that of the former Boston Bruins captain.

Marchand was traded from the Bruins to the Florida Panthers ahead of the trade deadline this year with his current contract expiring. At age 37, he was considered to be a depth addition to the Florida team looking to repeat as champions. Now with one win away, Marchand has proved to be an important asset as he leads the team with 6 goals scored during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs faced another embarrassing exit, this time against the Panthers, who beat them in the second. There have been question marks about whether Tavares, heading for unrestricted free agency, would be brought back by Toronto to preserve the Core Four setup. But now with reports confirming Mitch Marner's exit, the Leafs might be tempted to keep at least one of the two.

The "SDPN" podcast team, featuring Adam Wylde and Steve Dangle, discussed the issue. As per Wylde, referring to NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman's projections, the Leafs' offer for Tavares, with the broader long-term goal and short-term AAV in mind, shouldn't exceed more than $5M for 6 years. But Dangle had a hot and wild take, considering Brad Marchand's projections.

"Friedman said on 32 Thoughts this morning that he mentioned the idea of the Tanev contract, which we keep saying is probably the one that makes the most sense now. It’s interesting because Pierre LeBrun was like, 'Well, the idea that they’re going to get Tavares under 5 million a season is probably a bit fanciful...' I don’t know. I feel like if it’s a six-year deal, it’s under five. It has to be," Wylde said.

"What I’m not going to stand here for is the idea that this is just the Leafs. Brad Marchand — what’s his number? CJ on the CJ Show yesterday — how many years did he say? How many years? Four. So he’ll be 41. Someone’s going to pay a 41-year-old Brad Marchand 8 million? I feel bad. Signs Tavares to break the CBA — sign him to a 15-year deal. I don’t care," Dangle chimed in.

Could John Tavares and Brad Marchand both end up in Toronto?

John Tavares, as reported by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, has been in talks with the Leafs over the extension. Meanwhile, there have been a number of teams, including the Leafs, who have been linked to Marchand. The Leafs can go all out where they are able to secure both UFAs.

Toronto have the task of re-signing Tavares and add back Matthew Knies, the 22-year-old restricted free agent. Tavares' rumored $5 million AAV deal and Knies' expected $7.5 million AAV contract will leave them $13.5 million to sign someone like Marchand. It remains to be seen if GM Brad Treliving and co. splash on depth or try to get someone like the 37-year-old.