*Tavares contract was fine at the time he signed. The contracts of Matthews, Marner and Nylander were the mistakes.
*I wish that more people would fight back against the cap complaints this team has faced and recognize that we signed our four top contracts just before Covid. We were more adversely affected than any other team in the league. Had the cap gone up according to plan, JT's contract would not be the issue today that so many use to slander him.
*Yes, he has his faults: defensively suspect and a poor skater being two of the more noticeable issues. However, playing with primarily Nylander on the right and a rotating cast of LWers of dubious quality does not set up a C to be a stellar defensive star.
*Outside of Hyman, I cannot think of another Leaf who plays to his abilities as consistently as Tavares, he is a professional who does not short change by effort, the team that pays him.
*Had JT played with Marner v Nylander for the last 5 years I suspect he'd have averaged 4-5 more goals/season, bumping him to the top 10 in the league during that period while also seeing his defensive struggles abated.
*While not a top 10 C anymore, he'd certainly be the #1C for more than a few teams in today's NHL.