The Toronto Maple Leafs are supposedly close to re-signing John Tavares.
According to David Pagnotta from TheFourthPeriod.com, the Toronto Maple Leafs are close on a new deal for Tavares, with Pagnotta saying it will be a three-year deal with an annual salary of around $7 million.
It would be extremely surprising if this rumour turned out to be true because if the Leafs do not have a successful run in this year's playoffs, bringing back Tavares for an eighth season would seem like a tough sell to the fanbase.
If the Leafs have a strong playoffs, then bringing Mitch Marner and John Tavares back is a no brainer, however, in the event that the playoffs do not go well, you'd think the Leafs would want to preserve their options.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Rumored to Be Re-Signing John Tavares
The Toronto Maple Leafs will have around $31 million available in next season's salary cap, thanks in part to the cap jumping from $88 million this season to $95 million next season. Giving Tavares $7 million seems fair, but it also will not hinder the Leafs chances of re-signing unrestricted free agent (UFA) Mitch Marner or restricted free agent (RFA) Matthew Knies. (Salary cap information from puckpedia.com)
Tavares will be 35 years old next season. Meaning a three-year deal will take him to 37 and likely retirement. This season, Tavares has 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points in 48 games as the NHL heads into the Four Nations Face-Off break. He is on pace for 71 points in 75 games, indicating that he has no signs of slowing down. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
It's true that Tavares is not in his prime and is at the tail end of his career, but $7 million a season for a guy who can still score 30 goals and 70 points when healthy is worth doing. The deal will look even better in 2026-27 and 2027-28 when the NHL salary cap is at $104 million and $113.5 million respectively.
John Tavares has repeatedly stated to the media that he wishes to stay with the Leafs. He has no desire to play anywhere else. His heart is in the city of Toronto, and his passion for playing with the Leafs runs deep. I don't think it's a matter of if he re-signs, but when. It could happen while the NHL is paused for the Four Nations Face-Off, but again, it just makes more sense to wait until after the season.
That said, maybe the Leafs don't care about perception and maybe they want Tavares back regardless of what happens later. In that case, there is an argument to be made for doing the extension now.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, Tavares, and his agent have the perfect opportunity to sit down and iron out a new deal over the next two weeks. Re-signing Tavares and knowing what his cap hit will be moving forward will also help Treliving as he approaches the NHL trade deadline on March 7th.