Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] John Tavares signs with the Leafs (7 years, $11M AAV) Part III

[Atomos2]

I understand your point but respectively disagree. When managing a team, you do not make decisions based on what the fan base may feel or the potential backlash to the team. You make decisions that are best for the team. Period. Isle management should have taken control and forced Tavares hand to make a decision. They could have done it nicely but firmly. They could have done something like this in the summer of 2017...

"John we know you like it here and are not ready to make a decision yet. Firstly, know that we want and need you here. Having said that, we cannot take a chance that you leave the organization for nothing. That would be a disaster for this organization and potentially set us back years. It would also not be fair to the team to have this level of uncertainty for the entire 2017-18 season and have this be a potential distraction to you, us and the team. We need to either have you sign an extension this summer (summer of 2017) or we will have to move forward and trade you to eliminate the risk of losing you for nothing."

To me, Snow / Ownership should have recognized John was not 100% onboard with the Isles and should have forced a decision on John.

Also they should have put a due date in it. "If a decision has not been made by _________ (date), we will begin looking for trade candidates for you and would like you to send us a list of your preferred teams by ________ (date). "

 

[Tripod]

Weber, Perry, even Toews. One thing in common these with Big, long contracts have, there comes a time they will be questioned. It has happened to all players, the good, bad and mediocre.

It's true. Look how Giroux and Voracek were viewed 1 year ago by everyone, but now their contracts are looking cheap compared to what is being signed today.

 

[Pi]

HAPPY TWO WEEKS SINCE THE LEAFS SIGNED TAVARES, EVERYONE!!

Time flies. He came home and he's just the first guy to come home, the floodgates are going to open. October can't come fast enough.

 

[CupHolders]

From a Leafs perspective, worst case scenario is that contract doesn't work out they probably can trade him(even with his NMC) by year 4, so it would be stupid to say it was a bad move for the Leafs.

Now in the case of Tavares himself I am not sure his low key personality and the Toronto media circus will mesh well if things aren't going as good as some people expect(I would put that line somewhere in the low 70s/high 60s)

Oh great, so as an Islander fan I’ll have to hear Toronto’s Media constant trading Tavares back to the Islanders. Much like with Jason Blake, Bryan McCabe, Mike Komisarek (Long Island Native) when their deals didn’t work out at the end?

With that said, I expect Tavares to do fine in Toronto. Some great years, followed by some good ones. If they win something of note. No one will care about a poor final year.

While he did look slower and less involved last year, He should be reinvigorated by a skilled team, worthwhile games and better coaching. He’s also hockey intelligent enough to adjust his game as needed. Much like Sundin towards the end of his career.

I hope I’m wrong. Not because I wish him personal misfortune.

 

[BM14]

Oh great, so as an Islander fan I’ll have to hear Toronto’s Media constant trading Tavares back to the Islanders. Much like with Jason Blake, Bryan McCabe, Mike Komisarek (Long Island Native) when their deals didn’t work out at the end?
.

There are other options if you don't want to listen to the Toronto media.

Also, little bit of a different tier player we're talking about.
Those guys were NHL players, this is John Tavares - NHL franchise centre.

 

[CupHolders]

There are other options if you don't want to listen to the Toronto media.

Also, little bit of a different tier player we're talking about.
Those guys were NHL players, this is John Tavares - NHL franchise centre.

I don’t listen or read Toronto media. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the inter-webs, it’s all cross referenced and unavoidable in what I do read.

I already addressed John Tavares as a player.

 

[Voodoo Child]

I just think, infact I know how this market works. If players like Bozak and JVR were under a microscope for earning 1/4 of what Tavares will be next year as the 16M $ man and they were criticized often for their play at just 4.2 M and 4.25M per year during their tenures, these next 7 years are going to be interesting. Even Kessel who went onto win 2 Cups was chased out of town at what looks like a discount now at 8M per and 6.8M with 1.2 retained by the Leafs for the rest of his contract.

Tavares is making 11.

What microscope? Tavares is one of literally four elite forwards on the team, five if you consider Kadri an elite second line center. There will always be someone doing better or worse.

Jvr and Bozak were rightly criticized for their defensive play but the pitchforks never came out because we knew they would run out their deals.

Kessel was run out of town? News to me. Steve Simmons hot dog articles aside, most Leafs fans still love him, but that doesn't mean we don't know that he had to go.

This post is about as true as your Islanders Fandom.

Absolve yourself of your past indiscretions and return...you know you want to.

 

[Kelly]

Tavares is making 11.

What microscope? Tavares is one of literally four elite forwards on the team, five if you consider Kadri an elite second line center. There will always be someone doing better or worse.

Jvr and Bozak were rightly criticized for their defensive play but the pitchforks never came out because we knew they would run out their deals.

Kessel was run out of town? News to me. Steve Simmons hot dog articles aside, most Leafs fans still love him, but that doesn't mean we don't know that he had to go.

This post is about as true as your Islanders Fandom.

Absolve yourself of your past indiscretions and return...you know you want to.

Yeah, we'll pass

What a time to jump ship though, must be driving him crazy.

 

[Stephen]

I like this constant fear of "pressure" fans bring up as a negative in Toronto, as if all NHLers were feeble minded fools who can only comfortably ply their trade in an obscure corner of the league in some tropical backwater with no state tax and miles of subdivision.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I just think, infact I know how this market works. If players like Bozak and JVR were under a microscope for earning 1/4 of what Tavares will be next year as the 16M $ man and they were criticized often for their play at just 4.2 M and 4.25M per year during their tenures, these next 7 years are going to be interesting. Even Kessel who went onto win 2 Cups was chased out of town at what looks like a discount now at 8M per and 6.8M with 1.2 retained by the Leafs for the rest of his contract.

Mentioning real dollars is hilarious. Leafs could spend 2x the cap if they were allowed.

 

[X66]

Couple things people need to understand.

Tavares will thrive in markets like this because that is what cerebral elite players do. He’ll be in front of packed crowd for the rest of his time here, unlike with the islanders that had pathetic fan support in the arena.

The other thing is the older Tavares gets and out of his prime, the closer Matthews marner and nylander get closer to their prime to carry the load more from Tavares.

 

[Drew311]

Mentioning real dollars is hilarious. Leafs could spend 2x the cap if they were allowed.

People will grasp at every straw possible to spin this as a bad signing. Would love to see their reactions if their team was lucky enough to get a player like Tavares for only money.

 

[BLONG7]

Couple things people need to understand.

Tavares will thrive in markets like this because that is what cerebral elite players do. He’ll be in front of packed crowd for the rest of his time here, unlike with the islanders that had pathetic fan support in the arena.

The other thing is the older Tavares gets and out of his prime, the closer Matthews marner and nylander get closer to their prime to carry the load more from Tavares.

Should be interesting, on whether he can handle the expectations now...........the only thing that will hurt the Leafs this season, will be injuries and expectations...their window is now open.
He is a great player, but has never had a microscope on him in a fishbowl the way he will this year...

 

[Subway Schenn]

I just think, infact I know how this market works. If players like Bozak and JVR were under a microscope for earning 1/4 of what Tavares will be next year as the 16M $ man and they were criticized often for their play at just 4.2 M and 4.25M per year during their tenures, these next 7 years are going to be interesting. Even Kessel who went onto win 2 Cups was chased out of town at what looks like a discount now at 8M per and 6.8M with 1.2 retained by the Leafs for the rest of his contract.

 

[Face Of Bear]

Toronto is the only team that would get trash talked for signing a player like Tavares. If he went to any other team they would receive nothing but praise and compliments. SJ/NYI would have signed him for 12+ and no one would bat an eye. But when he signs in Toronto at a discounted 11M some people need to find any excuse they can to talk him down.

Leaf fans aren't worried about Tavares because Tavares is a world class player who came here to COMPETE (not to catch rays on the beach or collect a huge paycheck on a team thats not competitive). The kid contracts will sort themselves out too. Dubas will give them the option to either sign at a (slightly) discounted 8 years each and have a powerhouse team for that entire run. Or if anyone of them want to cash in then Dubas can bridge one for 3-5 years and sort the rest out when the time comes. Either way, its easily a huge upgrade for next season, and the rest of the team still has plenty of growth left to keep things chugging along the next few years.

 

[Cotton]

From a Leafs perspective, worst case scenario is that contract doesn't work out they probably can trade him(even with his NMC) by year 4, so it would be stupid to say it was a bad move for the Leafs.

Now in the case of Tavares himself I am not sure his low key personality and the Toronto media circus will mesh well if things aren't going as good as some people expect(I would put that line somewhere in the low 70s/high 60s)

What media circus? Your information is four years past it’s due date. The players are insulated and the dum-dums in our media have no effect, they only serve to feed the anti-Leafs trolls like those who thought there was a riff between Matthews and Babcock.

Oh but Nick Kypreos said so, and John Shannon too!

Bobby Orr just did an interview calling the notion idiotic and laughing at it. This was the speculation of Sportsnet outsiders looking to rustle jimmies to get clicks. And the anti-Leafs trolls on HF fell for it because they’re gullible and desperate for ammunition.

The notion that people could turn on him, or that the media will roast him because the guy has a cold streak is just more outsiders garbage. We supported Kessel through all his floating and cold spells, and he’s not near as good as Tavares.

By his own admission JT is well aware of the atmosphere in Toronto, when things are good and bad, and knowing that he chose to play for his home team. And as Leafs fans who have been mocked endlessly and told no Toronto born players wants to play for the Leafs, we love him for that.

 

[Notsince67]

Tavares thread #3, Perhaps we can now move onto his hockey expectations this year from a league perspective, He will be making double what he previously did at 5.5M per, he is now the highest paid player this upcoming season at 15.9, 2.4 more than McDavid. And is no longer a bargain with the 2nd highest cap hit next year at 11M. Tavares went from the safety of a small market to the danger of under a microscope of one of the largest markets in the league. Any slump will be magnified when you are a normal player playing in this market, but as the highest paid player in tbe NHL. He will literally have to be the best player in the league to earn that 15.9 next season or the critics will be out that he is another overpaid free agent that was signed on July 1 for the next 7 years.

He doesn't even have to be the best player on the Leafs.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The fact people think that anything that happens in the regular season will bring any kind of pressure from the media on Tavares is actually hilarious. If the Leafs are in the playoffs nobody will give a single damn. The only time the pressure will be up a notch is the playoffs. Period, point blank Tavares legacy with the Leafs will be determined in the playoffs. If you really think people are going to panic at his first cold streak in November when we still are tossing Matthews over the bench to pop in a few goals to still win games you are 100% out to lunch.

 

[Palio]

I like this constant fear of "pressure" fans bring up as a negative in Toronto, as if all NHLers were feeble minded fools who can only comfortably ply their trade in an obscure corner of the league in some tropical backwater with no state tax and miles of subdivision.

There are many players in the league that don’t want the added attention and would rather play in a market where they can largely go unnoticed. Had that been Tavares personality, I would have been disappointed we didn’t sign him at first, but then would have settled on the side of good riddance, if you can’t handle it and thrive for it, we don’t want you here.

It was just a matter of time until one of our homegrown stars wanted to come home and take on that challenge. Tavares knows exactly what he’s getting himself into, so I’m confident he has the right personality for the job. So credit to him, and credit to Shanahan/Dubas/Babcock and the rest for helping to get the franchise to a place where the timing was right.

 

[Notsince67]

I just think, infact I know how this market works. If players like Bozak and JVR were under a microscope for earning 1/4 of what Tavares will be next year as the 16M $ man and they were criticized often for their play at just 4.2 M and 4.25M per year during their tenures, these next 7 years are going to be interesting. Even Kessel who went onto win 2 Cups was chased out of town at what looks like a discount now at 8M per and 6.8M with 1.2 retained by the Leafs for the rest of his contract.

Salary is irrelevant to the Leafs. Cap matters.
Let's put it in some perspective. The naming rights of the Arena covers half the cap dollars of the entire Leaf roster every year ($40MM)

 

[Stephen]

There are many players in the league that don’t want the added attention and would rather play in a market where they can largely go unnoticed. Had that been Tavares personality, I would have been disappointed we didn’t sign him at first, but then would have settled on the side of good riddance, if you can’t handle it and thrive for it, we don’t want you here.

It was just a matter of time until one of our homegrown stars wanted to come home and take on that challenge. Tavares knows exactly what he’s getting himself into, so I’m confident he has the right personality for the job. So credit to him, and credit to Shanahan/Dubas/Babcock and the rest for helping to get the franchise to a place where the timing was right.

I find it strange that players want to win in relative obscurity at all.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

The fact people think that anything that happens in the regular season will bring any kind of pressure from the media on Tavares is actually hilarious. If the Leafs are in the playoffs nobody will give a single damn. The only time the pressure will be up a notch is the playoffs. Period, point blank Tavares legacy with the Leafs will be determined in the playoffs. If you really think people are going to panic at his first cold streak in November when we still are tossing Matthews over the bench to pop in a few goals to still win games you are 100% out to lunch.

People are ignorant of the Leafs fandom and how “brutal” it is. A player out in public might get asked for a handshake or a picture, but people don’t get go bryond personal boundaries. Even in the middle of a cold streak people talk tougher online or call in radio shows. No one would yell in their face on the street.

I saw one comment say how people would be throwing **** at Tavares’ house if he went on a cold streak. Christ what an imagination.

 

[MyBudJT]

The fact people think that anything that happens in the regular season will bring any kind of pressure from the media on Tavares is actually hilarious. If the Leafs are in the playoffs nobody will give a single damn. The only time the pressure will be up a notch is the playoffs. Period, point blank Tavares legacy with the Leafs will be determined in the playoffs. If you really think people are going to panic at his first cold streak in November when we still are tossing Matthews over the bench to pop in a few goals to still win games you are 100% out to lunch.

Not to mention, Tavares has a history of showing up when it really matters... He has a very good track record internationally, and playing in the playoffs...

 

[yababy]

It's a decent contract for 2-3 years. After that Tavares will have negative value just like Toews, Price etc

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

If the leafs underperform next year it will be Babcock getting most of the heat not Tavares.