Elliotte Friedman Links John Tavares to Unexpected Team as Leafs Future Remains Unclear
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman brought up a dark horse candidate to potentially make a big offer for John Tavares as free agency kicks off in a few weeks.
As the weeks count down towards free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to have a lot of work to do to not only bring in some new faces to change their identity, but also figure out if they are bringing back some returning faces.
One of the most notable is John Tavares, as the pending free agent is going to have his fair share of suitors this summer, however it seems more than likely he ends up sticking with the Maple Leafs.
Anaheim Ducks preparing an offer for John Tavares: Elliotte Friedman
But some news from Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast might bring a new team into the fold, and they could be preparing to make a splash this summer, that being the Anaheim Ducks:
I've wondered if Tavares and Toronto don't work things out; there's still time obviously. I wonder if Anaheim is a team that could take a shot at Tavares.
I don't think that Anaheim is done by any stretch of the imagination, it'll be interesting to see what Pat Verbeek does with his RFA's, he's a bit old school.
He wants to make sure players are ready to earn the money, and he's not afraid of bridge deals. But I think it's obvious he isn'd done yet. - Elliotte Friedman
I don't think that Anaheim is done by any stretch of the imagination, it'll be interesting to see what Pat Verbeek does with his RFA's, he's a bit old school.
He wants to make sure players are ready to earn the money, and he's not afraid of bridge deals. But I think it's obvious he isn'd done yet. - Elliotte Friedman
Anaheim certainly has the means to make a splash, and Tavares would certainly offer them that veteran offensive presence they need on a team full of young players.
But would Tavares end up spurning the Maple Leafs?
It might have to take a mountain to move John Tavares from Toronto
There's always the possibility, but it might just take a lot of cash to persuade him to leave.
While he's going to make a significant decrease in salary with Toronto, he's shown time and time again how deep his passion and love for the team and city is, and while money would be great, it seems Tavares enjoys his legacy and reputation a bit more.
Making $11M on his last deal, there's no way that he's going to make that much, although Anaheim might try and offer something worth $7M a year; that's a significant increase over a potential $4-5M salary he'd get from Toronto.
He'd be worth the price though. Even at his age, Tavares still put up great numbers and is just coming off a 74-point season (38G, 36A) that saw him score his second-most goals since arriving in Toronto.
It would be a big task for the Ducks to sign Tavares away, but there's still a chance that the Maple Leafs and their former captain can't come to an agreement.
If they don't, then you can expect Anaheim to be waiting there with a blank check come July 1.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 14 | 388 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Links John Tavares to Unexpected Team as Leafs Future Remains Unclear Will John Tavares entertain other offers from teams in free agency? | ||
| Yes | 139 | 35.8 % |
| No | 249 | 64.2 % |
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