John Tavares' Contract Comparable Surfaces Following Pierre Lebrun's Latest Report

It's been stated since the summer that John Tavares has every desire to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of his career.

The former captain has become an iconic name for his childhood home, and with his contract coming up at the end of this season, there's speculation as to what his next deal could look like.

NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun recently spoke on TSN regarding the potential of an extension for Tavares and what that could look like, offering two similar deals for some former superstars:

LeBrun states that two comparable contracts to Tavares are that of Claude Giroux and Anze Kopitar.

For Giroux, he signed a three-year, $18.5M deal with Ottawa in 2022, and Kopitar extended himself with Los Angeles to the tune of a two-year, $14M extension.

Both men were superstars of their time, but transitioned into a more veteran role over the past few seasons. Like Tavares, both men are still very capable offensive producers and the premium for an established player in around $7M a season.

These deals give Tavares both financial stability and the chance to gauge how he feels without Toronto having to commit too much money or years. He's certainly earned it though.

This season Tavares has been fantastic even at age 34, with 15 goals, 13 assists, and a plus-5 while helping Toronto sit atop the Atlantic Division. He cemented himself as the team's number two center and has shown no signs of being upset at being stripped of his captaincy.

If the Maple Leafs are trying to ensure Tavares stays in town, the best course of action would be to give him a sizable pay cut, but one that still tells the veteran they trust and believe in his ability even as he ages.

Tavares can end up saving Toronto a lot of money in the long run, something they will need if they want to keep their Core 4 together.