did you just compare tavares to toews
When Toews signed his deal he was seen as a top 3 player in the NHL by most on here. That deal was what caused so many people to sour on him. Many think he is now over rated when looking at his current body of work for his salary, but at his old salary he was among the best in the NHL.
Same for Tavares, many people view him as a top 10 player. To me, there are a handful of players better than him who don't make that, but if they re-signed their deals today they would.
So in a way, yes. Both are/were seen as good players and the core of their franchise, and people will turn on Tavares if he makes that much and can't bring his team close to a cup during the contract like they are doing with Toews and his two first round exits.
Let's not forger the last 2-3 years Tavares has been garbage for the first half of the year, people make threads asking if he is done, and then he wakes up and goes on a rampage finishing slightly above or below PPG.
If the first 6 month player is making that salary then ouch, if it's the second then it's fair. The question is he is getting older, in his prime, may have already peaked, and they still haven't ever gotten close to a cup.
I personally believe he leaves and signs a slightly friendlier deal to a team closer to a cup with more stability. I am not saying the Leafs as they can't afford him especially as another forward, but with the arena troubles, management's incompetence over his career, inability to give him proper line mates most of the time, etc, it's not unreasonable for him to move on somewhere like the Blues who have the core but need that one piece.
