NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs eyeing $36,000,000 Avalanche star alongside re-signing ex-captain John Tavares, per insider

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make some big moves this offseason, including potentially signing Colorado Avalanche forward Brock Nelson and re-signing former captain John Tavares, according to insider David Pagnotta.

The Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Florida Panthers, once again falling short of expectations. Now, GM Brad Treliving is looking to shake up the roster.

According to Pagnotta, if the Leafs bring back Tavares on a short-term, cheaper deal, they could pursue Nelson in free agency to play on his wing. Nelson finished a 6-year, $36,000,000 contract with the Avalanche and would bring a veteran scoring presence.

"If the Leafs re-sign Tavares, I would not be shocked if they pursued Brock Nelson in free agency to play alongside him, assuming he also hits the market July 1," Pagnotta said.

Tavares and Nelson were teammates with the New York Islanders, so there is familiarity there.

"Tavares, who has repeatedly voiced his desire to stay, could stick around on a two- or three-year deal at around half of his current $11 million AAV," Pagnotta added.

However, Pagnotta noted that the Leafs have several other key players in need of new contracts, including Mitch Marner, Matthew Knies, Pontus Holmberg, Nick Robertson, Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorent. They only have around $26,859,001 (per PuckPedia) in cap space to work with for next season.

Pagnotta pointed out Toronto may need to clear space by trading some players to acquire cap space.

David Pagnotta on Maple Leafs re-signing Mitch Marner

Mitch Marner kept quiet about his contract status with the Leafs, only expressing how "devastated" he was after the team’s Game 7 loss to the Panthers.

David Pagnotta believes Marner is poised for a huge payday, saying:

"Marner is going to get $13 million and up as a free agent this July. Almost every team will check in on him if he hits the open market.”

Pagnotta notes that Marner finally broke the 100-point barrier this season, putting up an impressive 102 points. With his track record of being a 90+ point player over the past six seasons, Pagnotta expects many teams to be interested if Marner reaches free agency.

Teams like Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Calgary could all make big offers to try and lure Marner away from the Maple Leafs.

Ultimately, Pagnotta believes Marner is going to get paid no matter where he ends up. While Marner hasn't completely ruled out re-signing with the Maple Leafs, he will have plenty of lucrative options come July.