Tavares extension -> May Reportedly Happen in the Near Future

[Darcy Tucker]

For me it's just about value. If he signs for $3-$4 million as I expect he will, it's easy to find a place for him on the second or third line because his offensive game is not going to fall off a cliff for at least three more years. But if the contract is $5 million or more per season, then it likely doesn't make sense from my perspective even with the offense he can provide.

Till Turkey Day or New zyears this time bud

 

[Darcy Tucker]

You ll be walking dog in November saying its 1972

 

[Enniskillen]

I think Tavares scored straight As in his PR Media training. Never says anything besides harmless “lessons learnt” parrot song.

 

[Racer88]

I think Tavares scored straight As in his PR Media training. Never says anything besides harmless “lessons learnt” parrot song.

Ya he is all about the moral victories

 

[seanlinden]

Okay, perhaps we should rephrase this ...

Who'd you rather have that is available, willing to move to Toronto, and you can get under the Cap the Leafs will have available.

2025 NHL Free Agents

Tracking the status and signings of all NHL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

For around $6-7mm who is there?
Panthers look to have a couple, but keep in mind Verhaeghe isn't really a center in Florida. Bennett a 50 point player, maybe if you're looking for a 3rd. line center?

Let's see what Berube does. Maybe he green lights a youngster for a center position and they run with it, supported by a couple of their star wingers? They have veteran wingers who are top 10 in their positions. We aren't asking for a Kid's line here. One Selke level winger, one winger who was top 10 in scoring, who can play either wing.

But hey, if Leafs can get a better center for around $6mm I doubt anyone is going to say, "No no. Tavares is the only answer."

That's an entire year away, many things will happen before then.

Exactly...

As for youth, to be honest, I'm not all that intrigued by what we have. The Leafs 3 best forward prospects are Cowan, Minten and Grebenkin. The only one that played centre last year was Minten; and the consensus on him seems to be that his upside is more of a "high quality #3 C" long term.

Some of this also comes down to Marner. If Marner's leaving, well there goes one of your elite wingers.

Sure, the Leafs will have cap space, but UFA options aren't all that great. You could certainly look at Tavares as a winger.

 

[Fogelhund]

I think resigning him is a mistake. The Leafs reward utter failure and like to redo things that clearly dont work. Tavares is now an overpaid 3rd line Center. He isnt an upgrade of any kind.

It's simply amazing that people keep parroting this out, when by no actual measure is he anything close to a 3C. It's simply a falsehood.

 

[notbias]

Ya he is all about the moral victories

I hope they give them some PR training.

They should all come out and start speaking the truth.

"Any fan who thinks we don't care about winning is an idiot"

 

[Fogelhund]

RFA offersheet targets or Trade Targets:

Morgan Frost
Gabe Vilardi
Jack McBain
Marco Rossi
Philph Kurashev
Connor Zary

UFA targets:

Unrealistic Dream scenerio

Sidney Crosby
Leon Draisaitl

Realistic Target via UFA

Sam Bennett (if under 6M and 6 year term)

Brock Nelson --> Short term 3-year deal at 6M if hes not signed back by Lou

2 3Cs - Options include Yanni Gourde + Mikael Granlund + Christian Dvorak + Brandon Tanev + Nick Bjugstad - Get 2 good 3C players one who is more two way focuses and gives 40+ pts (Yanni and Tanev) and other who has high offensive skill to play with WN and/or MM (Granlund, Bjugstad or Dvorak)

Trade Target - signed 2C and 3Cs

Dylan Strome --> Caps if they suck and are not a playoff team despite a lot of moves could look to move out Strome if OV has the record by TDL done next year.

Adrian Kempe (plays wing mostly but could maybe be moved to C) if Kings.suck again next year and choke leading to a retool

Sean Couterier --> If he has a good reg season and is healthy with flyers putting him on the market

Nazem Kadri --> long shot but if he has another 60+ pt season might make sense to target him with only 4 years left at 7M. Shanahan if hes fired would make this be a more ideal fit

Nicolas Roy or Philiph Danualt depending on if they get put on market based on how VGK and LAK 2024-2025 seasok goes. Could be two names who enter the market

Teams make trades, and signings all the time. We need to be aggresive and identify the target center we are aiming for early and make move by the draft to have their rights and move on from Tavares

Good work compiling this.

RFA's

Frost - he's decent, has upside... only real C, who could be a 2C of the list.
Vilardi - really just a winger so far in the NHL... doubt he's ever a C.
McBain... I'd love to have him... 3C as a Ceiling though, so no Tavares replacement.
Rossi - good player, small, non-physical... is this the right direction? Minny desperately needs him, likely would match.
Kurashev - another winger
Zary - probably going to be a winger LT... has been so far.

Bennett, Gourde, Granlund are really the realistic options here... Granlund probably the best option.

Kadri isn't an option if Shanahan is still here, for reasons that should be pretty obvious. The rest aren't really available.

It's a pretty thin market... Tavares is willing to sign relatively cheap, should be signed, and add someone like Granlund... that's probably the best move.

 

[ULF_55]

Exactly...

As for youth, to be honest, I'm not all that intrigued by what we have. The Leafs 3 best forward prospects are Cowan, Minten and Grebenkin. The only one that played centre last year was Minten; and the consensus on him seems to be that his upside is more of a "high quality #3 C" long term.

Some of this also comes down to Marner. If Marner's leaving, well there goes one of your elite wingers.

Sure, the Leafs will have cap space, but UFA options aren't all that great. You could certainly look at Tavares as a winger.

I doubt very much marner is leaving.
Everyone is speculating what kind of center Minten is going to be.
It could be his natural propensity is to defend?
Or is it possible, he's been tasked with blunting the oppositions top lines, playing shutdown roles?
I don't know ... time will tell.

How about Quillan, is he a winger or a center? I've read on multiple sites, he's a center.

 

[Fogelhund]

I doubt very much marner is leaving.
Everyone is speculating what kind of center Minten is going to be.
It could be his natural propensity is to defend?
Or is it possible, he's been tasked with blunting the oppositions top lines, playing shutdown roles?
I don't know ... time will tell.

How about Quillan, is he a winger or a center? I've read on multiple sites, he's a center.

Quillan was a C in college... 56% in the dot last year.

 

[seanlinden]

I doubt very much marner is leaving.
Everyone is speculating what kind of center Minten is going to be.
It could be his natural propensity is to defend?
Or is it possible, he's been tasked with blunting the oppositions top lines, playing shutdown roles?
I don't know ... time will tell.

How about Quillan, is he a winger or a center? I've read on multiple sites, he's a center.

Quillan's a C... but the consensus on him is proably not as optimisitc as Minten.

The challenge of course, the Leafs fancy themselves cup contenders over the next 3-4 years. Let's assume that Marner ends up staying...

Are we really "content" with a sophomore Fraser Minten as our 2nd line centre next year?

Even if you go out and get an prototypical #3 like Phillip Danault, JG Pageault, or Yanni Gourde; it would seemingly leave us quite weak in the middle, especially in the event of a Matthews injury.

 

[hamzarocks]

Good work compiling this.

RFA's

Frost - he's decent, has upside... only real C, who could be a 2C of the list.
Vilardi - really just a winger so far in the NHL... doubt he's ever a C.
McBain... I'd love to have him... 3C as a Ceiling though, so no Tavares replacement.
Rossi - good player, small, non-physical... is this the right direction? Minny desperately needs him, likely would match.
Kurashev - another winger
Zary - probably going to be a winger LT... has been so far.

Bennett, Gourde, Granlund are really the realistic options here... Granlund probably the best option.

Kadri isn't an option if Shanahan is still here, for reasons that should be pretty obvious. The rest aren't really available.

It's a pretty thin market... Tavares is willing to sign relatively cheap, should be signed, and add someone like Granlund... that's probably the best move.

It is a thin market which could potentially argue for Tavares on a short-term deal if he doesnt decline a lot this year. 2 year term max is what I could stomache

Some people saying 3-6 year term here are asking for a bad contract to kill us down the road.

I would like to be aggresive and make a hampus lindholm or Mattiask Ekholm like add for 2C. A center who could bounce back and provide geeat value for us for next 5+ years who can be a core level player behind Matthews at 1c

 

[notbias]

It is a thin market which could potentially argue for Tavares on a short-term deal if he doesnt decline a lot this year. 2 year term max is what I could stomache

Some people saying 3-6 year term here are asking for a bad contract to kill us down the road.

I would like to be aggresive and make a hampus lindholm or Mattiask Ekholm like add for 2C. A center who could bounce back and provide geeat value for us for next 5+ years who can be a core level player behind Matthews at 1c

4.5x6 with a full NMC, those are the standard at his age.

You've probably cheered one fo those on recently.

 

[Menzinger]

It is a thin market which could potentially argue for Tavares on a short-term deal if he doesnt decline a lot this year. 2 year term max is what I could stomache

Some people saying 3-6 year term here are asking for a bad contract to kill us down the road.

I would like to be aggresive and make a hampus lindholm or Mattiask Ekholm like add for 2C. A center who could bounce back and provide geeat value for us for next 5+ years who can be a core level player behind Matthews at 1c

To be fair,.I think.few are asking management to do that, more so predicting that's what's going to happen.

Tre has already signalled with the Tanev deal, they're prioritizing getting guys locked in and will aim to deal with things down the road.

 

[Racer88]

I hope they give them some PR training.

They should all come out and start speaking the truth.

"Any fan who thinks we don't care about winning is an idiot"

That would be so refreshing but who decides what is really the truth.

 

[Fogelhund]

It is a thin market which could potentially argue for Tavares on a short-term deal if he doesnt decline a lot this year. 2 year term max is what I could stomache

Some people saying 3-6 year term here are asking for a bad contract to kill us down the road.

I would like to be aggresive and make a hampus lindholm or Mattiask Ekholm like add for 2C. A center who could bounce back and provide geeat value for us for next 5+ years who can be a core level player behind Matthews at 1c

I think term is dictated by AAV. The longer the term, the lower the AAV. Let's say the market is indeed $4.5 x 6 ... as suggested above. I'm not arguing it is, or isn't... let's just say it is, for the sake of discussion. Let's say he's willing to take a discount... say $4 x 6. $24 million.

Would you accept $3 mil x 8 years? It keeps the AAV down even further, and down the road, it's even cheaper, LTIR, Retire.... whatever... front load it within the rules...

I think there are creative ways to get it done, and make it cheaper.

 

[hamzarocks]

4.5x6 with a full NMC, those are the standard at his age.

You've probably cheered one fo those on recently.

I hate the Tanev deal

Probably one of the few things you and I can agree on

Treliving had a clusterf*** of an offseason besides Domi

To be fair,.I think.few are asking management to do that, more so predicting that's what's going to happen.

Tre has already signalled with the Tanev deal, they're prioritizing getting guys locked in and will aim to deal with things down the road.

That is signs of poor management

A good management team can balance winning now and maintaining assets and room to improve in the future

I dont see tavares helping us win much now tbh and in 4 years hell be a corpse who will not be able to take NHL shifts regularly.

Tanev likewise was a dumb deal. If you wanted to get a good D with an overpay do it for one with upside or youth to be able to not experience a large falloff quickly due to wear and tear

 

[hamzarocks]

I think term is dictated by AAV. The longer the term, the lower the AAV. Let's say the market is indeed $4.5 x 6 ... as suggested above. I'm not arguing it is, or isn't... let's just say it is, for the sake of discussion. Let's say he's willing to take a discount... say $4 x 6. $24 million.

Would you accept $3 mil x 8 years? It keeps the AAV down even further, and down the road, it's even cheaper, LTIR, Retire.... whatever... front load it within the rules...

I think there are creative ways to get it done, and make it cheaper.

I guess well see what the market is

For me 2 years 4.5M is max I offer and if rejected I move on. And that is if he looks and plays better this season in reg + playoffs. He cant look as useless and sloppy as he did for huge stretches this season and completely useless in the playoffs.

That 4.5M can be max signing bonuses + maybe up to 2M in performance bonuses (if he has 60 reg season pts and we make R2 1M if he has 50 pts and we make R3 then he gets 2M bonuses)

If tavares wants to remain a leaf he needs to accept a greatly reduced role, contract and status amongst the team

If 2 years 4.5M is unrealistic then we need to make a move to acquire a 2C ir great 3C so that we arent hedging our bets in Tavares and left scrambling to sign him alone

 

[seanlinden]

I guess well see what the market is

For me 2 years 4.5M is max I offer and if rejected I move on. And that is if he looks and plays better this season in reg + playoffs. He cant look as useless and sloppy as he did for huge stretches this season and completely useless in the playoffs.

That 4.5M can be max signing bonuses + maybe up to 2M in performance bonuses (if he has 60 reg season pts and we make R2 1M if he has 50 pts and we make R3 then he gets 2M bonuses)

If tavares wants to remain a leaf he needs to accept a greatly reduced role, contract and status amongst the team

If 2 years 4.5M is unrealistic then we need to make a move to acquire a 2C ir great 3C so that we arent hedging our bets in Tavares and left scrambling to sign him alone

I think you've gotta ask yourself... are you grandstanding with that statement?

If the Tavares wants 3 or 4 years at $4.5m, are you really going to say no? do you really have a better option?

That being said, call me crazy, but I actually don't think it makes sense for Tavares to do a LTIRiterment deal like Tampa tried to do with Stamkos; and Toronto did with Tanev.

Tavares has completed $33m and $77m contracts at this point. Yes, there was a bunch lost to COVID and escrow, but he's made himself generational wealth. For him to basically sign his retirement date 3 or 4 years down the road... doesn't really make sense. Like Stamkos, he probably wants a little bit of freedom to decide where and when it's time to finish.

If Stamkos has signed, say, $4m x 7m, he's handcuffing himself to the point where if he wants to go somewhere specific at 39 years of age and play for league minimum, that isn't really an option for him.

Of course, guys do it... but when you consider the quantum of how much money Tavares has made, it doesn't really make sense for him to.

 

[NVious]

This fan base is ridiculous sometimes. If they aren't the literally best or close to it in the world, toss em in the trash.

He's a proven loser.

Why in the world would you want someone like that back?

The Leafs gave him everything and he failed spectacularly. If he wants to stay it's time for him to put the team ahead of himself and take a league minimum.

Otherwise he and marner can take their loser vibes elsewhere.

 

[HockeyVirus]

He's a proven loser.

Why in the world would you want someone like that back?

The Leafs gave him everything and he failed spectacularly. If he wants to stay it's time for him to put the team ahead of himself and take a league minimum.

Otherwise he and marner can take their loser vibes elsewhere.

McDavid is a proven loser. Get rid of him

 

[ULF_55]

McDavid is a proven loser. Get rid of him

Matthews is greatly worse.

GM hasn't improved at all. Re-signing all the losers at increased rates.

Can we AI Quinn?

 

[Dale Gribble]

This would be just as bad as re-signing Marner to a monster deal.

 

[darrylsittler27]

It's simply amazing that people keep parroting this out, when by no actual measure is he anything close to a 3C. It's simply a falsehood.

Call him whatever you want. If we lose first round we need a better center than him.

 

[NVious]

McDavid is a proven loser. Get rid of him

Yeah loser of conference finals and finals.

Big difference.

Tavares earns McDavid money meanwhile he has 2 more points than Ryan Reaves in their last 11 playoff games.

McDavid's point totals this playoff season:

25

8

34

42

Tavares career point totals:

62

23

23

46