Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares Will Have Huge Comeback Season

Expect a monster campaign for Toronto Maple Leafs, captain John Tavares this year.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed John Tavares to a seven-year deal, worth $11M AAV, the fanbase was overjoyed. Not only was everyone celebrating Canada Day that afternoon, but they were celebrating the fact that a homegrown talent chose the Leafs in free agency for the first time.

Tavares was the golden child. Everyone who grew up playing hockey in the GTHL understood how talented he was at a young age and that eventually garnered him “exceptional status” into the OHL. From there, he’d be drafted first overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and has been an excellent professional for the past 13 seasons.

However, now that we’re entering Year 14, there’s a ton of pressure on Tavares to step up.

His first season was nothing but spectacular, scoring 47 goals and contributing 88 points, which were both career-high’s. The $11M contract seemed like a bargain with that production and although they lost in Game 7, there was a ton of hype about the future with Tavares as the captain.

Fast-forward four years and everyone is in panic mode.

Fans and media members are angry about his contract, thinking he needs to step up, despite being one of the most consistent players of the past decade, but I digress.

Expect a Resurgence from the Toronto Maple Leafs  Captain

For some reason, people look at Tavares’ season last year as a disappointment, despite scoring 27 goals and registering 76 points, months after suffering a devastating injury.

Speaking of that injury, if Tavares doesn’t get hurt against Montreal, Toronto probably wins the series and we’re not talking about first round struggles anymore. We’re probably discussing a team who at the minimum, plays in the Conference Finals, and best case scenario wins the Stanley Cup.

I know that’s hard to believe but that injury was more than an injury. The Leafs lost their identity that night. It wasn’t like Tavares twisted his ankle and missed time, but instead, his head was covered in blood, he lost consciousness and was stretchered off in an empty arena.

It’s tough for any team to comeback after that and losing Game 1 at home was the difference between winning and losing the series for Toronto.

We have no idea how much that injury affected Tavares for the 2021-22 season, but it definitely didn’t help. The injury would have limited his offseason training, affecting the start of the season, which limits his stats for the year.

By all accounts, Tavares is healthy and ready to go for the 2022-23 campaign. As a result, he should have a huge year and be magnificent beside William Nylander, again.

Speaking of which, Nylander is only getting better, which will make Tavares better in-turn. Not only that, but the left-winger who plays on that line could a huge addition, compared to someone like Alex Kerfoot who played primarily on the line last year.

Whether it’s Nick Robertson, Calle Jarnkrok, or someone TBD, the Leafs second-line is going to look different, but it’s going to look better. Robertson could add a ton of fun skill, elevating Tavares’ game, while Jarnkrok could be like Michael Bunting to Auston Matthews.

A healthy Tavares should easily hit 30 goals and be a point-per-game player. However, I’ll go out on a limb and say that (if healthy), Tavares finishes with 37 goals and 89 points, making his salary a non-factor and worth every penny.

The Tavares slander has gone on too long and it needs to stop. The captain is bound for another huge season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and will be a key contributor factor when the playoffs start as well.