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, until 2022. The other big blue-liners — Jake Muzzin and newcomers Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci — will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the year. Travis Dermott will be a restricted free agent on July 1.

But Dubas is all-in on a brand of hockey that is personified by Marner: skilled, slick, fast and up-tempo. Marner is an elusive playmaker, able to embarrass defenders while electrifying crowds and surprising linemates who have learned to keep their stick on the ice because they never can tell when a pass might come.

Marner has led the Leafs in scoring the last two seasons. He had 26 goals and 68 assists for 94 points last year, the most by a Leaf since Mats Sundin hit 94 in 1995-96.

Coach Mike Babcock is fond of saying Marner can “drive a line,” pointing out it’s a rare winger who can do that. For that reason, he rarely plays with Matthews.

Marner’s prowess at setting up plays is a big reason why Tavares scored 47 times, the most in his 10 seasons in the NHL. The year before, James van Riemsdyk scored 36, the most of his career, playing with Marner. He even thanked Marner “for the tap-ins” when he returned to Toronto after signing in Philadelphia.

The combination of Marner with Tavares — and Zach Hyman — was one of the NHL’s top lines last year. Hyman will miss the start of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery, with Kasperi Kapanen potentially filling that hole.

But the other line of Matthews, Nylander and now Andreas Johnsson promises to be just as productive. It’s a one-two punch that is hard for rest of the other league to match, much less defend.

“Our team, we have two really solid lines,” Nylander said Friday. “We spread the scoring out over the lineup.”

Marner — like Matthews, who signed for five years — will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal. Marner will be 28, Matthews 25 when they hit UFA status.

A handful of Leafs returned from dinner in St. John’s and were smiling as they walked through their hotel lobby.

“Is the internet broken?” joked Hyman, who spotted reporters.

The deal puts the Leafs payroll at nearly $95 million, almost $11 million over the NHL’s salary cap. But with the team able to put David Clarkson ($5.25 million) and Nathan Horton ($5.3 million) on long-term injured reserve when the season opens, they should have plenty of room.

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The lament about having everyone in camp has been a common theme since the team convened this week. Not signing until Dec. 1 was an issue in Nylander’s disappointing season last year. He scored just seven goals.

With Tavares also missing the start of camp (due to the birth of his first child) and Hyman hurt, it prompted Babcock to ponder life without that line. He didn’t like it.

“Those are really good players,” Babcock said. “You can’t replace those guys. You got good depth and all that. We can’t replace those people.”

Most of Marner’s money — nearly $61 million — will be paid in the form of a signing bonus. That means it would be protected in the event of a lockout, a concern with collective bargaining underway and the current agreement due to end in 2022 — or 2020 if the players decide use their option to do so by Sept. 15.

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