John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs have ended weeks of speculation by agreeing to a four-year, $17.5 million deal. The deal carries a $4.38 million AAV and keeps the 34-year-old Tavares in Toronto for the foreseeable future.
Insider Darren Dreger initially broke the news.
4 years $4.38 aav for Tavares
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 27, 2025
The deal is a home run for the Maple Leafs and a significant sacrifice for the Leafs’ former captain.
The rumblings leading up to the signing were that Tavares was looking for a deal similar to the one Brock Nelson signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
However, chatter also suggested that the Leafs wanted to sign Tavares to a deal similar to the one the Dallas Stars gave Matt Duchene.
In the end, it was the Duchene-like deal that Tavares agreed to.
Now that we have clarity on where Tavares stands with the Maple Leafs, it’s evident he took one for the team. Tavares could have gotten more money on the open market. This year’s free agent class is rather slim.
Plus, there are various teams desperate for center depth. The Montreal Canadiens have been rumored to be looking for a 2C. The Colorado Avalanche overpaid for Nelson, while the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets are also teams looking at upgrades.
We can only speculate on what Tavares would have actually fetched on the open market. But he definitely took one for the team. The optics look good on the deal on both ends.
The Maple Leafs won a crucial contract negotiation
During an appearance on TSN Hot Takes, analyst Bryan Hayes made a forceful point about the Maple Leafs needing to win a negotiation.
In Hayes’ estimation, the Leafs had bent over backwards to accommodate players. Most notably, the William Nylander and Mitch Marner negotiations were examples of how the Leafs did whatever players wanted.
But as Hayes pointed out, Brendan Shanahan is no longer in the fold. That put Brad Treliving in the driver’s seat, giving him an opportunity to drive a hard bargain.
Check out Hayes' comments here:
That’s precisely what went down.
It’s not like the Leafs cheated Tavares out of money. If Tavares were more concerned about money, he would have walked on July 1. The optics look fabulous on this deal because the club can frame Tavares as a team player. He took a pay cut to help the team be successful.
If only Mitch Marner felt that way, too.
The Tavares deal still leaves the Leafs with over $20 million in cap space for next season. A chunk of that will go toward paying Matthew Knies.
The remainder will look to address a replacement for Marner in the top six and potentially other additions in the bottom six and blue line.
Whatever happens from now on, the Leafs can’t complain that Tavares didn’t give them a break. It’s now up to Brad Treliving to figure out how to navigate the remainder of the offseason.