Maple Leafs’ Best Team-Friendly Contracts for 2026-27 NHL Season

Successful NHL teams often find a way to allocate their salary cap wisely throughout the roster. In recent years, champions have shown that star players with hefty contracts can be a hindrance. Notably, no team has lifted the Stanley Cup with a player carrying a cap hit exceeding $10 million. Instead, the secret lies in spreading financial resources across the lineup, a strategy facilitated by players accepting team-friendly contracts.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, three contracts stand out as particularly advantageous as they head into the 2026-27 NHL season. First and foremost, John Tavares boasts the most favorable deal on the team. The 35-year-old center signed a four-year contract worth $4.39 million per season in June 2025, which will extend through the 2028-29 campaign. This contract followed a season in which Tavares matched his second-highest goal total, netting 38 goals alongside 36 assists for 74 points in 75 games.

Considering his production, Tavares’s market value could easily have surpassed $7 million per season. For context, in 2024, Steven Stamkos inked a four-year deal worth $8 million annually after posting 81 points in 79 games—a figure nearly double what Tavares secured.

Another notable contract belongs to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who earns $3.5 million against the cap for the next two seasons. The veteran defenseman, now in his 17th season at age 35, is coming off one of his best performances in years, scoring eight goals and totaling 39 points—his highest point total since the 2018-19 season. To put this into perspective, other defensemen who matched Ekman-Larsson’s scoring pace last season include Shea Theodore, earning $7.425 million, and Dougie Hamilton at $9 million.

Given his production relative to his salary, Ekman-Larsson’s contract is a clear win for the Leafs, especially since he excelled as captain of Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

Lastly, Chris Tanev’s contract, while longer due to his age, is another team-friendly agreement. The 36-year-old defenseman carries a cap hit of $4.5 million for the next four seasons. Although Tanev struggled with injuries last season, appearing in only 11 games, the financial implications of his contract remain manageable. The team has the option to bury his salary if injury issues persist, minimizing the financial impact while losing a talented player.

When healthy, Tanev is considered one of the NHL’s elite defensive defensemen and among the best shot blockers in recent history. Since entering the league in 2010-11, he ranks among the top ten shot-blockers with a total of 1,856. His partnership with Jake McCabe, who also holds a reasonable contract at $4.51 million for the next four years, only strengthens the Maple Leafs’ defensive capabilities.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.