"Lot of people don't want to play in Toronto": Don Cherry gets brutally honest about $113,500,000 salary cap's implication on Maple Leafs' future

There has been growing belief in North American sports that players from all leagues aren't interested in signing for a Toronto-based team. Plenty of reasons are given for it, with the the coupled effect of high Canadian taxes and a big-market media scrutiny the primary reason.

On Don Cherry's Grapevine podcast's latest episode on Sunday, the 91-year-old veteran discussed the implications of the updated salary cap on the league. As per Cherry, the increasing figures will affect the Canadian teams negatively because the figures were set in the American dollar.

The NHL in a memo to the teams and the NHL Players Association recently put up expected salary projections through till 2028. The cap is expected to rise from $88 million to a $114 by 2027-28 in increments.

"Yeah, this year it's going up to $88 million. Next year, it's going up to $95.5 million," Don Cherry said. "Next year, it's going up to $104[million] and next season it's going up to $113 [million]. It'll hurt, definitely hurt the Canadian teams."

After a brief discussion about the Canadian dollar position against the American Dollar currently, his son Tom Cherry stated that in comparison to other Canadian teams, a strong market like Toronto should be okay. But Don carried a contrasting opinion, stating that there are no players who want to play in the city.

"That's about it. Well, like Toronto, I think it will be okay, just because they have such a large corporation behind them," Tom said.

"A lot of people don't want to play in Toronto," Don Cherry replied.

Mitch Marner's contract negotiations looming with salary cap projections in mind

On TSN's Overdrive, NHL insider Darren Dreger made his feelings known about Mitch Marner's pending contract negotiations. The Leafs forward is in the last year of his six-year $65.4 million contract.

As per Dreger, the Leafs would like to have a particular figure in mind during the negotiations which should be around the $13 million mark. He was also of the opinion that even if other suitors offer him more, Marner might stay back in Canada because he is well setlled. Dreger said:

"I'd be surprised if it was lower than $13 million times eight, and that's, that's Toronto's stomach. So how much more is Mitch going to get on the open market?

"Maybe a lot more, if he wants to play outside of his hometown and in a market that you know isn't or with a team that isn't as close to winning a Stanley Cup that he's currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs, surrounded by what we assume are a collection of his buddies in a core. So look, I mean, there's still time, but now the cap projections are there."

If Marner chooses the Leafs over other teams, especially if he ignores a higher annual average value for his contract, then it will prove someone like Don Cherry wrong who feels many players don't want to play in Toronto.