John Tavares has started strong for the Maple Leafs. Will he stay in Toronto? - The Athletic
On the Leafs side of this negotiation, they naturally want to keep the contract number down. Every bit of cap space counts in Toronto. They might point to the $5 million Patrice Bergeron earned, including bonuses, during his last season in Boston. Or even the last two years of Joe Pavelski’s career with the Dallas Stars, when he took home $6 million and $5.5 million, respectively.
They are the only team that can offer Tavares the chance to keep playing at home. And while the Leafs continue to value Tavares’ play and the intangible qualities he brings — helping set an example for the organization’s young players and even opening his house to Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten when they first arrived in Toronto — they need to preserve the ability to invest elsewhere on roster upgrades as he ages and becomes less productive.
Given the dynamics at play, it wouldn’t be surprising if the sides landed on a compromise that sees some of the money deferred beyond the life of the next contract. The Leafs used that mechanism to lower the cap hit on Jake McCabe’s recent extension and both sides in this negotiation are believed to be open to exploring a similar type of structure for Tavares.
For his part, Tavares seems to have a realistic view of where he’s at in his career and what he’s up against. He cites work done on his skating with consultant Paul Matheson in recent years as an example of something that’s helped him push the limits of his performance. A former No. 1 NHL draft pick who entered the league with massive expectations and became a 1,000-plus point scorer, he’s trying to strike the balance between leaning into his longtime strengths and adding new elements to his game.
“I’ve called it an evolution a lot over the last couple of years,” Tavares said. “I truly think that’s what it is. I can’t try to compare myself and my game to 10 years ago or my first year that I came here, things like that.
“A lot happens within the league, within the team, within yourself and you gain so much more experience and knowledge.”
Historically, star players have often had to wait before signing fourth NHL contracts that take them into their twilight.
On the Leafs side of this negotiation, they naturally want to keep the contract number down. Every bit of cap space counts in Toronto. They might point to the $5 million Patrice Bergeron earned, including bonuses, during his last season in Boston. Or even the last two years of Joe Pavelski’s career with the Dallas Stars, when he took home $6 million and $5.5 million, respectively.
They are the only team that can offer Tavares the chance to keep playing at home. And while the Leafs continue to value Tavares’ play and the intangible qualities he brings — helping set an example for the organization’s young players and even opening his house to Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten when they first arrived in Toronto — they need to preserve the ability to invest elsewhere on roster upgrades as he ages and becomes less productive.
Given the dynamics at play, it wouldn’t be surprising if the sides landed on a compromise that sees some of the money deferred beyond the life of the next contract. The Leafs used that mechanism to lower the cap hit on Jake McCabe’s recent extension and both sides in this negotiation are believed to be open to exploring a similar type of structure for Tavares.
For his part, Tavares seems to have a realistic view of where he’s at in his career and what he’s up against. He cites work done on his skating with consultant Paul Matheson in recent years as an example of something that’s helped him push the limits of his performance. A former No. 1 NHL draft pick who entered the league with massive expectations and became a 1,000-plus point scorer, he’s trying to strike the balance between leaning into his longtime strengths and adding new elements to his game.
“I’ve called it an evolution a lot over the last couple of years,” Tavares said. “I truly think that’s what it is. I can’t try to compare myself and my game to 10 years ago or my first year that I came here, things like that.
“A lot happens within the league, within the team, within yourself and you gain so much more experience and knowledge.”
Historically, star players have often had to wait before signing fourth NHL contracts that take them into their twilight.
