John Tavares Facing Unexpected Pressure From Maple Leafs in Ongoing Talks

The John Tavares situation is one that seems to be getting more fraught by the day. First we heard things were progressing great, then it took a turn where all of a sudden the two were far apart.

There were reports that Toronto offered him a paltry deal while Tavares and his camp believe that he can hit top dollar on the open market. Fans are hoping it comes to a peaceful conclusion soon, however there are some who appreciate the Maple Leafs' stance on the matter.

Toronto does own a lot of leverage when it comes to giving into Tavares' demands. They can frame his reputation as being tarnished, and that his loyalty only lay to the check amount; or maybe guilt-trip him into staying.

They don't have to pay him anything, and while it would severely hinder the team, they could use that extra money to throw lots of money at other players or take on a bigger deal that gives them the 2C to replace Tavares.

On the flip side however, Tavares himself holds a lot of power given that the free agent market is going to be very thin for the rest of the league, and with Toronto desperately needing to keep their pivots; he's hoping their desperation leads to a py bump.

Brock Nelson signed for three years at $7.5-million per season, and while that might be a bit of an overpayment for Tavares; he did score 38 goals this season.

They have to meet in the middle somewhere, and anywhere between $5-6M per seasons should be enough to appease Tavares and give the team some savings.

Tavares, 34, had 74 points in 75 games (38G, 36A) while also becoming one of only five players to hit 200+ goals with two separate franchises; in 515 games with the Maple Leafs, Tavares has been outstanding with 493 points (222G, 271A) and a blistering 57.5% face-off win percentage.

This offseason is one of the more critical ones for the Maple Leafs in recent seasons, and getting Tavares signed is one of their top priorities.

However, if he's unable to compromise and the team feels he's stretching them thin? Don't be surprised if Toronto walks away from their former captain.