Last summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the biggest purchase in NHL history when they signed John Tavares.
The former Islander signed with his home town Toronto Maple Leafs for a seven years, at $11 million dollar annually.
When the Leafs signed the best UFA in the history of the NHL, many people were criticizing them.
Of course, if the Leafs won the Stanley Cup people would complain about the style in which they won it, so you can’t take these people too seriously.
Their main complaint was that it was too much money, for too much term.
So the question is: What do you get for $11 million dollars?
John Tavares
It seems you get a player who is among the best in the NHL. A player who, if Nikita Kucherov wasn’t putting up the best season in the NHL in 20 something years, might have a legitimate claim to the Hart Trophy,
John Tavares – emotionless robot that he is – has been worth every single paid to him. In fact, he’s so good that he’s probably underpaid.
The Leafs have never had a Hart Trophy winner, and I don’t think they’ve even had a finalist before. Doug Gilmour once came 4th in voting.
This year, John Tavares should finish second, if there is any justice in the world.
After his four goal game the other night, John Tavares is 3rd in the NHL with 45 goals. He, however, leads the NHL with 32 5v5 goals, which is a better and harder accomplishment. (Stats from naturalstattrick.com).
Tavares is 15th in the NHL with 86 points (his next point will set a career high), but that is only because the Leafs don’t have to play him as much as other team’s top centres, and because they’re power-play shooting percentage has been pretty low.
Tavares is third in the NHL in 5v5 scoring.
Tavares is second in the NHL in points per 60 minutes of 5v5 ice-time. Only he and Kucherov are above 3 points per 60.
The fact is, If the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t also have Auston Matthews and had to play John Tavares as much as other teams play their top centre, then he would be a lot higher than 15th in the overall scoring race.
There is a very good chance that he ends up leading the NHL in goals and winning the Rocket Richard Trophy. He has the most goals by a Toronto Maple Leafs player in 25 years and he is a worthy Hart Trophy Candidate.
Like I already said, Nikita Kucherov has run away with the award, but Tavares should be a finalist.
The bottom line is that John Tavares has been worth every single penny the Leafs have paid him. He is, after one season, already one of the best players in the entire history of the franchise.
The Leafs got a bargain.