ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—It’s go time.The Maple Leafs finally have all their ducks in a row — no contract hassles — and can concentrate on hockey now that winger Mitch Marner has signed a six-year deal worth $65.385 million, an average of $10.893 million a year (all dollars U.S.).Marner and general manager Kyle Dubas will hold a news conference Saturday during a break in the day’s training in Paradise, N.L., according a news release confirming the deal.“I’m exactly where I want to be,” Marner tweeted Friday night, “in front of the greatest hockey fans in the world, proudly continuing the tradition with the @MapleLeafs. See you soon.”A team that believes its window to win the Stanley Cup is open now has no excuses but to go for it with the league’s most expensive payroll.The contract talks with Marner seemed rancorous and painful at times, as the sides disagreed during talks over what a 22-year-old right winger with unique, game-changing skills was worth.Ultimately, they agreed Marner should be the team’s third highest-paid player on an average annual basis behind centres Auston Matthews ($11.634 million) and John Tavares ($11 million). Collectively, those three are among the seven highest-paid players in the NHL.Marner is the last of the so-called core players, responsible for the team’s rise from the ashes of a last-place finish in 2016, to find contract peace. Matthews signed mid-season last year, while William Nylander took until Dec. 1 to come to terms, a delay that hurt his performance. Marner and the Leafs avoid a repeat of a distraction no team wants.“He’s a big part of the team,” said goalie Frederik Andersen at the team hotel after news broke. “It’s great to have everyone together and have a full team.”It’s not that there are no contract issues, but they are in the future. Only one core defenceman remains under contract: Morgan Rielly, u ...
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