John Tavares has been involved in a major legal battle recently involving several millions of dollars and two former players of the Leafs have been dragged in too. This legal battle will lead to several possible outcomes, one of which could be the chilling effect on the future negotiations of players. In the future, players in the NHL would tend to shy away from signing contracts with teams in Canada, which means the Maple Leafs could be in trouble, as <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/news/tax-battles-over-tavares-153m-bonus-could-shake-up-his-future-in-toronto-and-canadian-sports-signings' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>several of their present and former players are in a tussle related to taxes</a> involving the Canada Revenue Agency. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/nationalpost/status/1877332029085245919'> </a></blockquote></div> That will affect the decisions of free agents signing long-term contracts across the league. The actions by the CRA probably leave the Maple Leafs and their fans frustrated, as such disputes could make it more difficult for them to attract or keep top talent. NHL fans from across Canada might share that feeling, worried about the more extensive implications of teams and players having to sort out contract negotiations with Canadian tax laws. The issue came to the forefront last spring when a legal battle emerged between then-Maple Leafs captain John <a href='https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/player/john-tavares-8475166' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Tavares</a> and the CRA, which claimed Tavares owed millions of dollars in taxes on his signing bonuses. Well, it turns out other former Maple Leafs, Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin, were in <a href='https://sports.yahoo.com/report-former-leafs-patrick-marleau-161825048.html' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>much the same situation, 'National Post' reports</a>. In his appeal, Marleau - a Canadian who played for the Leafs from 2017 to 2019 - said CRA is claiming over $3.8 million in combined federal and provincial taxes on his signing bonuses paid in the 2017 and 2018 tax years, as well as $180,000 in interest. Muzzin - a former defenceman who joined the Leafs' front office after a career-ending injury in 2022 - said in his appeal that CRA is claiming over $3.7 million in federal taxes and $131,000 in interest for the 2020 tax year, said the National Post's Christopher Nardi on the Marleau and Muzzin lawsuits. While the language in the Standard Player Contract regarding bonus structures has been updated, 'The Hockey News' David Alter reports, it obviously won't offer any assistance or solace to currently embattled players in various lawsuits over issues between them and NHL teams. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1877389959843164269'> </a></blockquote></div> It remains to be seen who comes out victorious down the road from this legal battle.