Nah... it's not fixed, just delusional. You really have to wonder what people's expectations for a 2C are. Does anyone watch other teams at all? Like at all?
Like Florida's 2C was Sam Bennett... put up 41 points last year. Boston had Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha as their two top C's, 60 and 59 points. Carolina's 2C was Jordan Staal and his 30 points.
Tavares put up 69 points, in his worst offensive campaign in years, while being over 59% on faceoffs, and a positive +- player, 5v5. This was a player that was pencilled in on people's Canadian Olympic team up until last year... but suddenly he's not good enough to be a 2C on the Leafs...
Like if this sucks as a 2C, what do people want and expect? Seriously. Who are these superior 2C out there, and how many teams have them?
I get the regression to his game last year, and that he's way overpaid now... but the bottom line is, he's still one of the better 2C's out there, after years and years of being a good 1C. But people are fixated on this idea that he's got to go, needs to be a winger, or our 3C, while somehow we bring in an acceptable 2C like McDavid or something.
Seriously, name some players that are better than Tavares, who would be acceptable 2C's.