Quoting: BCAPP
The taxes thing is quite exaggerated by people not understanding how the taxes work. For players who play in an American market you are charged at the tax rate of when you earn the money. Ie when you're in New York, you pay New York taxes, when you're playing a game in la you pay California taxes. So the tax break only applies to home games (I am not sure about Canadian away games. May apply there as well). Remember also that while these states don't have state taxes they still have significant budgets and need to make their money somewhere so they pay higher taxes in other areas (one area is often property tax). Living there will eat into some more of their money in other ways.
Now Toronto is for sure a higher tax environment and Tampa a lower one, but a lot of the estimates out there of like 30% differences are large exaggerations. These guys (should at least) be paying accountants to optimize their tax situation and are likely looking at significantly less difference.
There’s a massive misconception that players like Rantanen and Aho will sign for almost nothing (7-8) and Marner will sign for almost twice that. Also, there is misconception that Point could take less because he knows the team’s cap situation. That’s totally wrong. A team will be payed what he thinks that he is worth. The Cap is set up based on that philosophy. I’ll break down the aforementioned players the best I can banking that all of them push for what they are worth.
Point: I hate blowing the taxes horn, but it’s honestly true - though not to the normally conceived extent. 15% is the difference between Florida and Ontario. I’m going to put him at 9.5x8 because Kucherov made the same off a 100 point year. Point isn’t Kucherov - maybe one day, but he’s massively benefitting from Kucherov’s dominant year and a loaded team. He’s still hugely valuable, but not more than Kucherov.
Rantanen: Honestly I haven’t heard a ton about his contract ballpark. There’s no Colorado contracts similar at all to him, but I’m going to have to say that he’s looking at players around the league and taking a Point comparable. 9.25x8 is my guess. Less than Point even though he almost equals him in points, but as a winger he’ll make less.
Aho: Easily the most underrated of the group, he’s a 90 point center on a middling team with bad teammates. Carolina doesn’t overpay guys, and they just gave a 60 point winger less than 6, so I trust that they’ll be good with negotiating Aho. The kid deserves a ton and he’s not making less than 9x8 which is my guess.
Marner: His contract comparable is unfortunately a luxurious Matthews deal, and on a Point deal he makes 11. He’s not a center, and though Toronto overpays RFAs and property, income, and sales taxes are high as well as the general cost of living, he still makes less than Point’s tax adjusted comparable. And he’s not Matthews. My honest guess is 10.5x6. I hate saying it, but Marner thinks he worth Matthews money. So Dubas will have to back off on the term.
Tkachuk: Slightly inflated by an incredible top six and PP, he’s not quite what the others are, and though he lives in Canada I’m still going to have to drop below 9 on him. He won’t destroy Gaudreau’s deal, so I’m going for a 7.75x6. He worth more and will be a 10 million guy after the 6 year deal. He goes close to 9 on an 8 year deal, but Calgary doesn’t overspend and gave Gaudreau an underwhelming contract after a similar year, so I think Tkachuk ups him. I could easily see a 8x6 though.
Laine: is a mess, but he shouldn’t be given up in yet. Winnipeg is in a huge cap crunch and can’t afford to dump a Johnsson/Kapanen/Miller/Gourde like other teams - they don’t really have any to trade - so Laine will have to be bridged. He’s also in Canada so a 8.5x3 looks good to me.
I’m sorry if this looks skewed against Marner, I just can’t help it TBH. The evidence is piled against Dubas and he likely gets 8 digits this year unless a bridge happens.