"Still heavy for me" - NHL insider warns Maple Leafs to avoid making mistakes of the past as John Tavares contract negotiations heat up

As John Tavares' contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs nears its expiration on July 1st, negotiations are heating up between the two. However, NHL insider Dave Feschuk warns the Maple Leafs to avoid repeating past mistakes when it comes to signing their core players.

Speaking on the "First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo" podcast, Feschuk cautioned that even if Tavares' new contract comes in around $5 million, that is still too high given the team's history of overpaying stars.

He points out that in the former general manager Kyle Dubas' era, agents frequently got the upper hand in negotiations and core players extracted top dollar from the Leafs. This resulted in cap issues down the road.

"Still heavy for me," Feschuk said. "If it comes to five, it's still heavy for me. But what Pierre’s insider knowledge tells you is that the Leafs are way below five, right? They've started way below five. If five is a number, the comparison has been browbeaten into finally accepting.”

Feschuk praised new GM Brad Treliving for taking a harder line and starting negotiations far below $5 million. While agents always push for top value, it ultimately comes down to the player deciding if they will take a hometown discount.

Treliving's tougher stance gives the Leafs more leverage compared to the Dubas days when agents held all the cards, noted Feschuk.

“So we'll see how this deal turns out," Feschuk added. "We’ll see what the rest of the free agency summer turns into. But I think it does tell you he’s on the right track… to getting the kind of signings at the kind of numbers that are a lot more team-beneficial than player-beneficial.”

With 38 goals and 74 points last season, Tavares remains an invaluable piece for the Leafs.

Pierre LeBrun: Contract comparables complicate Maple Leafs' talks with John Tavares

On TSN’s Insider Trading, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun shared that the Maple Leafs and John Tavares’ agent, Pat Brisson, are using different player contracts as benchmarks as they try to determine Tavares’ market value.

From the Leafs' perspective, Matt Duchene's four-year, $4.5 million per year contract with the Stars looks like a bargain they'd hope Tavares would match.

However, Brisson sees Brock Nelson's three-year, $7.5 million per year deal with the Avalanche as a more accurate benchmark, given that Nelson had fewer points than Tavares last season.

LeBrun said:

“When you look at some of the recent comparables, there are two different stories being told ... So it's finding that sweet spot and the term that has proven difficult so far on Tavares." (3:40)

The challenge is finding a contract that satisfies both John Tavares and the Leafs.