How are you feeling about Tavares these days?

[WillyC]

I’d put money that Tavares retires as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs… I’d also bet that next season will not be his last in Toronto.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I’d put money that Tavares retires as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs

He’s retiring next year ?




He’s a 3C, what do they make ?

 

[LeafsFan89]

He’s retiring next year ?




He’s a 3C, what do they make ?

3-4M. + 2M Leafs tax?

 

[HamiltonNHL]

3-4M. + 2M Leafs tax?

Bye JT.

I can drive him to the airport.

 

[mikeyz]

For once he's not wrong.

 

[LeafsFan89]

For once he's not wrong.

I never liked the JT signing when it happened - I wanted to develop our own stars.

I never liked JT as captain as he lacks emotion (both in interview and play) and is so monotone. I think Rielly, after surviving those shit Burke-Nonis years, should have been captain as he turns it on in the playoffs and plays with fire.

But, we get an emotionless captain for an emotionless team. So it fits.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Maybe he's going to develop an equipment allergy?

 

[darrylsittler27]

He’s a 3rd line Center who can play a top pp unit. After next year when his contract is over I’d imagine you walk away from him. He’s declining rapidly. Unless he took a 2-3 year deal for peanuts.

No, they need to convince him to retire. If they flop again they simply can't afford to carry an $11 million 3rd line 50 pt C. It's like playing a 4.00 avg goalie and paying him $7 mill. It's crippling and the fantasy needs to end.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

He is fine on 3rd line for now .. hopefully he can stay there next season .. we will see???????????????????????????

 

[Larcos_Unal]

He is fine on 3rd line for now .. hopefully he can stay there next season .. we will see???????????????????????????

He'll be on the 3rd line next season, he simply cannot drive play at 5v5 anymore. He failed to produce with Nylander having a career year on his wing, he also played a little with Marner.

I think JT had a great run with the Leafs, would have been nice to win a couple more rounds...I would not extend him when that albatross is up, the league has passed him by and you can get a guy like Domi for $3-4M in UFA to be your 3C.

 

[Stephen]

I don't even know if the third line is limited enough for him these days. At the rate he's aging he'll be older than Mark Giordano by the time the playoffs start.

 

[Stephen]

For once he's not wrong.

The man has a post doc in losing with all the lessons he's learned along the way.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I found this part particularly interesting:

"He's been great, and he will be great," Keefe said. "I brought John up yesterday, as I did in the room with the team, because he's our leader. He's got to set the tone for our group. Sometimes, it's part of his play; sometimes, it's as captain to help bring the group back when they're slipping, when others are slipping."

Maple Leafs' John Tavares responds to Sheldon Keefe's callout for accountability

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares didn't exactly go into hiding after being called out by coach Sheldon Keefe, writes Luke Fox.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Stephen]

I found this part particularly interesting:

"He's been great, and he will be great," Keefe said. "I brought John up yesterday, as I did in the room with the team, because he's our leader. He's got to set the tone for our group. Sometimes, it's part of his play; sometimes, it's as captain to help bring the group back when they're slipping, when others are slipping."

Maple Leafs' John Tavares responds to Sheldon Keefe's callout for accountability

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares didn't exactly go into hiding after being called out by coach Sheldon Keefe, writes Luke Fox.

www.sportsnet.ca

I thought John Tavares' response to being called out by Keefe was very professional and humble and completely fine and probably why Keefe singled him out as the example without creating any possible drama... but we really need a guy who can bring some emotional heat to bear as well when guys need to play a little upset. That's not JT, but kind of wish we had that in our leadership group.

What I do understand about why Keefe called out JT is you see bonehead stuff all over the lineup, from all the pucks Matthews was coughing up to Domi's Galchenyuk level turnover on the EN, to Knies and Robertson pulling toe drag garbage all over the ice. And it makes sense to challenge the top of the pecking order.

 

[AustonMarner]

How would bet me be right now that Keefe will be back with the Leafs next year but Tavares won't?
*Push if Leafs make SCF min.

 

[Racer88]

I’d put money that Tavares retires as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs… I’d also bet that next season will not be his last in Toronto.

If they pay him anymore then 3.5 we will be destined for more failure

 

[AustonMarner]

I’d put money that Tavares retires as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs… I’d also bet that next season will not be his last in Toronto.

How much would you like to bet?

The guy is basically a black hole for any and all of his linemates

Everybody has to pretend he's legit in order for the whole team to save face... it's a sad sad and ugly state of affairs...

 

[Zybalto]

Having a really good month so far:

6 goals, 13 points in 12 games
xGF%: 58.55
GF%: 66.64

Hope he carries it over to the playoffs.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I can't wait for Marner to get back so that JT will go back to 3C and 2PP.

Sad to say that might be Mitch's biggest contribution, and that's not a knock on Mitch.

 

[TMLife17]

How would bet me be right now that Keefe will be back with the Leafs next year but Tavares won't?
*Push if Leafs make SCF min.

Where tf do you think Tavares is going and how? Even if we as a soft franchise asked him to waive, and he agreed, are we trading a 1st rounder to dump him? That's delusional. There is a 0% chance Tavares is anywhere but a Leaf next season.

 

[Zybalto]

Always a fun look to see where he is on the era adjusted all-time leaderboards:

Goals:
38.. Ciccarelli: 530
39.. Tavares: 518
39. Francis: 518
41. Turgeon: 517
41. Ullman: 517

Points:
61. St. Louis: 1166
62. Tavares: 1163
63. Lafleur: 1161

Big jump up to Dino for goals after he passes Francis. Be interesting to see where he lands in the end.

 

[AustonMarner]

Where tf do you think Tavares is going and how? Even if we as a soft franchise asked him to waive, and he agreed, are we trading a 1st rounder to dump him? That's delusional. There is a 0% chance Tavares is anywhere but a Leaf next season.

This is a very simple transaction and much more feasible than you may think

July 1st 2024 Tavares will receive his last signing bonus and basically 99% of his total contract will be paid out in full and theoretically Tavares will only be paid roughly $775k for the entirety of 24 -25 season...

So it would clearly be in Tavares financial best interest to sign elsewhere for more than the roughly $775K and the Leafs best interest for obvious and numerous reasons... these are the perfect terms for what's known as mutual contract termination... If Treliving tells Tavares he's no longer in the teams plans after this season (ahl bound for hardball) there's no reason why Tavares would try and fight to stay

I've said this from last year and people shit talked me but we'll just have to see what the future has in store

 

[Divine]

I don't mind Tavares if he's not making 11M.

He's not a bad player. Good at faceoffs and can still make passes/cycle the puck. He's still a good 2C in this league. He's just not an 11M player. If he was making half that, 5.5M, I wouldn't mind it at all.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Ok the problem is the leafs don't have a good number 2 center to replace tavares

 

[therealkoho]

The money is accounted for, why obsess over it.

Considering he had a bit of a prolonged slump, which I believe was probably attached to an injury, he hasn't had a horribly bad season. Tavares will probably finish up with 63-65 points, as it is right now he's a point up on everybody's darling Jared McCann.

Sure I'd love to see him put up another 90 point season, still possible no matter how improbable.

More concerning to me was the lack of effort, the lazy turnovers committed by our stars that I don't see McJeebuzz, MacKinnon, Crosby, Eichel, Barkov, Petterson etal committing on anything resembling a regular basis.

Yet we seemed to be more bothered by a contract signed by a UFA.