How are you feeling about Tavares these days?

[mjd1001]

I honestly feel the same way as when the season started. He's going to be a 'productive' NHL player, but he's at the point in his career where his skills are declining a LITTLE bit each year.

Is he 'worth' his contract now? No. But you are going to likely be in the same place at the end of Nylander's deal, likely Marner's new deal, and maybe even Matthews deal when they are done. Signing your stars almost always ends up with them not being worth the deals in the final years when they are in their 30s. But the reality is, he is still playing at almost a 25 goal, 70 point pace. You aren't just going to replace that with a young guy up from the minors or a draft pick or low cost free agent.

If or when he is gone, I want to know how they are going to replace that 25 goal, 70 point production.

 

[hotpaws]

I honestly feel the same way as when the season started. He's going to be a 'productive' NHL player, but he's at the point in his career where his skills are declining a LITTLE bit each year.

Is he 'worth' his contract now? No. But you are going to likely be in the same place at the end of Nylander's deal, likely Marner's new deal, and maybe even Matthews deal when they are done. Signing your stars almost always ends up with them not being worth the deals in the final years when they are in their 30s. But the reality is, he is still playing at almost a 25 goal, 70 point pace. You aren't just going to replace that with a young guy up from the minors or a draft pick or low cost free agent.

If or when he is gone, I want to know how they are going to replace that 25 goal, 70 point production.

His offensive production is reliant on his linemates so as long as Willie can still drive the play it won't be hard to replace JT's production. Hell , just flip Domi and JT's linemates and usage and he'll produce the same amount of points if not more . As it stands now Domi has almost as many points as JT when you don't include pp production and that's with much less ice time and much weaker wingers .

 

[TMLegend]

He started the season strong but he's looked horrible the last two months or so, especially in transition. He's no longer an impact forward and just kind of looks like a guy out there most nights nowadays. His 5v5 scoring has fallen off a cliff too, despite being tied at the hip to one of Marner/Nylander at all times.

Last season he was tied for 67th in 5v5 scoring, both Nylander and Marner were inside the top 25.

This season Tavares is tied for 104th at 5v5, both Marner and Nylander are in the top 50.

He's probably a league average 2C at this point factoring linemates.

 

[TMLegend]

His offensive production is reliant on his linemates so as long as Willie can still drive the play it won't be hard to replace JT's production. Hell , just flip Domi and JT's linemates and usage and he'll produce the same amount of points if not more . As it stands now Domi has almost as many points as JT when you don't include pp production and that's with much less ice time and much weaker wingers .

Domi is already out producing Tavares at 5v5.

 

[3blizzard4]

How are you feeling about Allison 2.0 these days?

 

[Leafs98]

How are the JT jersey sales going ?

 

[Fogelhund]

He started the season strong but he's looked horrible the last two months or so,

That about sums it up for me... his skating looked good, he played well, and then it's declined. He could have a nagging injury bugging him... we don't know.. .and I hope that's the case and he returns to form, and just hasn't regressed. But it doesn't look good at all.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Allen's horrible deal.

 

[Stephen]

His offensive production is reliant on his linemates so as long as Willie can still drive the play it won't be hard to replace JT's production. Hell , just flip Domi and JT's linemates and usage and he'll produce the same amount of points if not more . As it stands now Domi has almost as many points as JT when you don't include pp production and that's with much less ice time and much weaker wingers .

I wonder how much better Claude Giroux, at his advanced age, would compliment Nylander on the same line vs Tavares. Giroux is older but he's still a great playmaker, still quick and a line driver who can carry the puck and make plays. That would be night and day.

 

[leafsfan5]

I think re-tooling a bit and getting ready for another push once JT is off the books is the way to go

Him falling off was expected, he's still a decent player but obviously not worth his money

 

[GoonieFace]

That about sums it up for me... his skating looked good, he played well, and then it's declined. He could have a nagging injury bugging him... we don't know.. .and I hope that's the case and he returns to form, and just hasn't regressed. But it doesn't look good at all.

He did the same last year, he just looks faster at the start before everyone is up to game speed, than its turtle time

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Imagine taking that $11m plus Bertuzzi's $5.25 and signing 2 top 4 Dmen with it.

 

[Stephen]

I think re-tooling a bit and getting ready for another push once JT is off the books is the way to go

Him falling off was expected, he's still a decent player but obviously not worth his money

Frankly, he looks like a plug out there. And without the PP production and occasional garbage goals he usually provides it looks like all he can do is take a beating in traffic and eat punishment so something might happen in all the chaos.

Maybe it’s just a cold streak and he pulls out of it. It’s happened before. But I think he deserves his criticism in a big way. It’s not like his drop off is some circumstantial thing and poor JT. He’s still supposed to be an impact player and he’s not doing it.

 

[666]

I've been saying for a couple of years now that Tavares needs to move to the wing. He'd still be a top 6 power forward.

 

[Its not your fault]

He made it past what I would have feared. Every bad game sounds like savings now.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Same as the last 3 or 4 years.

 

[mydnyte]

i feel sorry about the way he is being used, especially on the PP where he excelled net-front and is moved to the side boards where he is useless.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I've been saying for a couple of years now that Tavares needs to move to the wing. He'd still be a top 6 power forward.

The most gentle power forward the NHL has ever seen but yes, he's definitely a winger at this stage in his career

 

[hamzarocks]

Imagine taking that $11m plus Bertuzzi's $5.25 and signing 2 top 4 Dmen with it.

At 16.25M

You wouldnt get just top4D

You could sign/trade for 2 7M top pairing D and then add a quality 2.25M backup

Could add

Hanafin + Weegar

Chychuran (next summer extend at 7M) + Trade for a Spurgeon/Orlov

 

[Racer88]

At 16.25M

You wouldnt get just top4D

You could sign/trade for 2 7M and then add a quality 2.25M backup

Yup. there are lots of way they could make this team better by moving on from a couple of the expensive 4. However too many people are paralyzed by fear

 

[Larcos_Unal]

At 16.25M

You wouldnt get just top4D

You could sign/trade for 2 7M and then add a quality 2.25M backup

Thanks, that hit the spot

 

[Confucius]

I think re-tooling a bit and getting ready for another push once JT is off the books is the way to go

Him falling off was expected, he's still a decent player but obviously not worth his money

That’s going to be an interesting summer, JT walks and we have no 1st or 2nd round pick. Things are looking up….

 

[IPS]

I've been saying for a couple of years now that Tavares needs to move to the wing. He'd still be a top 6 power forward.

Lol a power forward? What about Tavares' game leads you to label him a power forward?

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Honeymoon is over for Johnny Toronto

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Lol a power forward? What about Tavares' game leads you to label him a power forward?

Technically he's a big chunky boy who's able to stand in front of the net and take cross checks. He's not able to power his way to the net though cause he's way too slow and he gets the puck stripped off him like taking candy from a chunky baby.