Confirmed with Link: Tavares to Toronto (7 years, $11M AAV)

[Pocket Hercules]

Hey enough of these f***ing jokes. I want to know how TWS feels about this signing!

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Tavares + Marner and Matthews + Nylander are both top ten duos in the league i'd say

 

[HockeyMad68]

I just spent 4 hours out on the lake cruising, tubing and swimming - a perfect July 1 I thought. Then we came home for lunch and I find out JT was a leaf. Wow just wow. Happy Canada everyone!

Welcome home Johnny

 

[Jacquestrapless]

Looking back on the past week's Tavares thread on the main board is tasty.

 

[Acetylene]

Wow, what a day! Kadri now demoted to 3rd center, and Nylander set as a winger for Matthews. Good to be a fan!

 

[Pocket Hercules]

 

[TimeZone]

The San Jose board is the most entertaining to read.

It's almost as if their fans are oblivious that 95% of their core is on the wrong side of 30, your time is over.

 

[Savvy]

Hey enough of these ****ing jokes. I want to know how TWS feels about this signing!

Part of me sees him on a ledge somewhere but the more realistic part thinks he’s just going further into denial and is putting together a long post about how this is terrible for the leafs and they’re doomed

 

[phillipmike]

We coming for you Stamkos!!!

 

[kyle n00bas]

The fact that he left money on the table because he wanted to come home makes my heart warm

 

[connormcmuffin]

Now I get why Dubas passed on Veleno

 

[Vegan Knight]

Congratulations from an outside fan!

I want to thank you guys for not flooding the website (so far) and making it impossible to load.

 

[IBeL34f]

Guess thats it for the Willie to center debate.105 point club last season and they have just subbed in JT for Bozak. It should be a big year if they stay healthy. Any improvement at D at all would be a nice add.

There's improvement just by way of upgrading from Bozak to Tavares - That's seriously huge.

Also, I have full confidence in Zaitsev to bounce back, and in Rielly and Dermott to continue their development, along with full buy-in from our forward group to chip in, especially with full-time, top-9 roles for guys like Johnsson and Kapanen.

I honestly don't believe we need to do anything at all to see improvement in our team D this year and moving forward. Liljegren has potential to be that top-pairing RHD that many people are looking to acquire through trade, and if guys like Sandin, Durzi and Kral manage to hit their potential, our one "weakness" becomes a serious strength.

But there are moves that could be made that would make a lot of sense, and if Dubas could turn an expiring asset like Gardiner into someone like Spurgeon/Braun/Trouba/Myers and balance out our blueline a bit, then I think he should go for it.

Marleau - Tavares - Marner
Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Johnsson - Kadri - Brown/Kapanen
Grundstrom - Lindholm - Kapanen/Brown

Rielly - Spurgeon
Dermott - Zaitsev
Hainsey - Carrick

Andersen
Sparks

That's a Stanley Cup-caliber roster if ever I've seen one.

 

[rent free]

biggest thing we've won since the draft lottery

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

The San Jose board is the most entertaining to read.

It's almost as if their fans are oblivious that 95% of their core is on the wrong side of 30, your time is over.

And how about the fact that JT spoke of our exciting young core? Direct shot at SJ's closing window

 

[Raymondo316]

Marner feeding the puck to Tavares

 

[TimeZone]

 

[HockeyAndWings]

Couldn't be happier with the Tavares signing. Looking forward to this team taking the next step in contending, and hopefully win a cup or two in the foreseeable future.

 

[Cor]

Johnsson - Tavares - Marner
Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Martin/Leivo/Other - Lindholm - Brown

 

[LeafsBro]

We are officially a matchup nightmare. Even if somehow both Matthews AND Tavares are neutralized by opponents they still have a 30 goal scorer in Kadri to contend with.
Also with less pressure of being “the guy” it takes some weight off of Auston’s shoulders and that much easier for him to be the best he can be.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

Part of me sees him on a ledge somewhere but the more realistic part thinks he’s just going further into denial and is putting together a long post about how this is terrible for the leafs and they’re doomed

I have to agree with this. He’s probably plotting a colossal BS story for the main boards on how JT would have been an anchor in Barzal’s development anyways and the Leafs signing him was a blessing in disguise.

 

[Intact]

This is just amazing...

 

[Albz]

Whens the news conference..??

 

[Darcy Tucker]

I'm not sure about matters like this. But does the signing bonus structure of the JT contract affect the cap hit at all or is it 11 across the board?

 

[Pocket Hercules]