John Tavares' Closest Friend Defends His Maple Leafs Decision in New Interview
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Cal Clutterbuck was a guest on Spittin' Chiclets and revealed his concerns for John Tavares back in 2018, however is more than happy to see him succeeding.
When the Maple Leafs brought in John Tavares a few years ago, there was a ton of hype surrounding the hometown boy coming in and bringing some extra firepower alongside Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.
Part of the 'Core Four' era, he was expected to help bring the team to glory but fell short at every turn. Though not his fault entirely, it would be great to see Tavares pick it up in the playoffs even if he's been spectacular in the regular season.
It was an exciting time when Tavares was signed, and for his former teammates it was tough to see him go. One of his closest friends and teammates was former forward Cal Clutterbuck, who has since hung up the skates himself.
Clutterbuck Opens Up on Spittin' Chiclets About Tavares' Big Decision
A guest on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast recently, Clutterbuck was asked about how he felt when Tavares left Long Island to go back home to Toronto, and while he was sad to see him go, he wasn't too surprised:
Snowy [Garth Snow] really wanted the chance to sign him and I think John considered coming back. But at the end of the day when you're the guy and get the chance to go home and be the hero; if you ask anyone if they would and they say no they're a f****** liar.
It's not too shocking to see Tavares jump ship and try to bring a title to the team he idolized growing up, although Clutterbuck was concerned for his friend if only due to the immense pressure that comes with playing in Toronto:
The one reservation is I wish he would have talked to Parise, because the same thing happened with him.
I just wanted him to know that if this doesn't work out the way you want, like you might hear some s*** on a regular basis even into your 40s. That was my only play for him was sometimes it's not great playing back home.
I just wanted him to know that if this doesn't work out the way you want, like you might hear some s*** on a regular basis even into your 40s. That was my only play for him was sometimes it's not great playing back home.
Clutterbuck is referring to Zach Parise signing a mega-deal with the Minnesota Wild along with Ryan Suter, as both didn't turn out the way their hometown team had hoped for.
What Clutterbuck's Comments Reveal About Tavares' Move to Toronto
It was a huge coup for the Maple Leafs to bring John Tavares aboard and he set the precedent for other players like Steven Lorentz and Michael Pezzetta to decide to sign with the team as free agents.
There's always a positive aura when you can bring in a hometown kid, especially one as talented as Tavares, and his tenure from arrival, to captaincy, to veteran leader has always had the team at the forefront.
It also shows that Clutterbuck, much like the rest of the league, knows how stressful it is to play in Toronto, as you're always under the microscope and the smallest mistake can lead to the harshest criticisms.
But Tavares has done well for himself since signing. In 515 games since signing with the Leafs, he has 493 points (222 goals, 271 assists), a plus-21, 72 PP goals, and a blistering 57.5% face-off win percentage.
His playoff production has not been up to snuff though. In 51 games he has 31 points with the Maple Leafs, but has proven he can produce in the postseason (22 points in 24 games with the Islanders).
For now, it seems like Tavares has avoided most of the heavy criticism and is lauded for his ability to lead both by example and in the locker room.
Let's just hope that he continues to be the ageless wonder he was last season.
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