The Toronto Maple Leafs stripped John Tavares of the captaincy this week, which will spark trade rumors.
Although it feels like Tavares had a strong say in giving up the captaincy, that's a huge blow to a player who did the unthinkable and signed in Toronto. When Tavares came north, it was the beginning of a new era. Although there was hope after Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander were drafted, Tavares was the cherry on top.
We're currently entering Year 7 of Tavares and everything he's done has been fantastic. He's been a great leader and someone who's contributed every night. If it wasn't for a devastating injury he suffered during the playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens a few years ago, we may be looking at this team a lot differently.
We all seem to forget that injury because it happened at a time in everyone's life that was a blur, but if Tavares stays healthy, I think the Leafs win Game 1 and ultimately win the series. However, he couldn't play the rest of the series and the team ultimately lost in seven games.
The end of the Tavares Era feels virtually finished after this change and as a result, should the Leafs explore a trade? Getting stripped as the captain is one of the toughest things an organization can do, so although Matthews is a great choice to become the next captain, Tavares could be more open to moving on from the organization he once uprooted his life for.
As a result, let's explore three potential trade destinations if the Leafs were to trade Tavares.