Report Reveals the Real Reason John Tavares Hasn't Signed With the Maple Leafs Yet

The saga of John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs seems to be one that is going to go on for a bit, barring some wild turnaround. We've seen reports that the team offered a paltry deal, and the Tavares camp thinks they can get a Brock Nelson-esque contract on the open market.

We should be getting some type of conclusion to this situation shortly right? Tavares wants to stay, the Leafs wanna keep him; surely it's going to be done soon.

According to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, who was speaking on TSN's Insider Trading segment, the two parties are progressing towards a deal, which is great news.

The only issue is that it might take longer than we'd like.

We know that both sides are trying to play hardball with one another, and the fact that Tavares wants to stay in town is a huge leverage point for the Maple Leafs.

We've heard everything from $4-million to $7.5-million per season for his next deal, and while Toronto certainly would love to keep him, money does talk. The hope is that Tavares' love of the city and wearing the blue and white outweighs his desire for a few more million dollars.

For a player who has made $120-million over his career, it's a bit ridiculous to think that a few million is the deal-breaker, but he's also got to weigh if winning a championship before he retires truly matters to him.

He's won pretty much everything else under the sun except for a Stanley Cup, and if a team who is on the cusp of contending or losing some big names this summer thinks Tavares is their answer, then they'll give him something he might not be able to refuse.

Tavares, 34, had a fantastic season for Toronto and wrote off all doubters who thought he may regress. In 75 games he had 74 points (38G, 36A) which gave him the second-highest goal scoring total since signing in 2018.

Buckle up folks, we're just getting started.