Because July 1 was incoming, I’ve been on the phone with a lot of agents — and a few players — over the last couple weeks.



One of the things I was trying to learn more about was how they approach big contract negotiations, given the Maple Leafs have so many of those to work out in the next 14 months. Auston Matthews. Mitch Marner. William Nylander (story).



The one theme that the people I talked to kept coming back to was loyalty. How NHL stars, in particular, almost always take the safety and security of a long-term offer in the place they already play — even if it’s not in their best financial interest to do so.



The NBA is a vastly different league, with shorter contract term limits and a much higher salary cap, so it’s hard to compare the two. But you see superstars in basketball moving around like chess pieces every summer, teaming up with pals to create super teams and taking short, calculated runs at championships.