Maple Leafs and John Tavares Reportedly Approaching Shocking Long-Term Extension, per Chris Johnston
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares might be close to a deal, however the length and price of that deal might come to surprise quite a few people per NHL Insider Chris Johnston.
With a lot of discussion surrounding the future of John Tavares with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the main talking point seems to be about the price of his deal, given that it'll be a significant decrease from his old $11M per year contract.
John Tavares might sign a Yanni Gourde-level deal: Chris Johnston
While he will no doubt sign for less, he might also be willing to commit long-term, and according to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, that seems like a very distinct possibility.
Johnston believes that Tavares could sign a Yanni Gourde-level extension but with a much higher average annual value.
So what would it end up costing Toronto to keep Tavares in the fold?
What's the price to keep John Tavares in blue and white?
Given that he wants to stick around for the long haul, it won't be surprising to see him be alright with a 50% discount when it comes to his next salary.
If they were to commit long-term to Tavares, putting him in a five-year deal worth $27.5M would be a very reasonable final contract, give him enough time to compete and retire with his hometown team, plus that deal gets more manageable with a rising cap.
Showing no signs of regression, Tavares is still able to contribute at a high level, and with his focus on fitness and keeping physically prepared each season, he could play well into his late 30's with reliable consistency.
Putting up 74 points in 75 games, Tavares was one of Toronto's key contributors this year, putting in his second-highest goal output (38) since signing with the team.
Knowing that Mitch Marner is leaving town, it's going to be even more imperative that Tavares not only signs for a reasonable deal, but is able to put up the same type of offensive production as this past season.
The team needs to make sure Matthew Knies is also locked up long-term, and depending on which direction they want to go in free agency might lead to Tavares getting a bigger or smaller role going forward.
But as the ultimate team player, it seems it won't matter where the team puts him just as long as he's still a part of their journey going forward.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 16 | 830 ANSWERS Maple Leafs and John Tavares Reportedly Approaching Shocking Long-Term Extension, per Chris Johnston How much will John Tavares sign for per year on his next deal? | ||
| $3M | 75 | 9 % |
| $4M | 178 | 21.4 % |
| $5M | 458 | 55.2 % |
| $6M+ | 119 | 14.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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