Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] John Tavares signs with the Leafs (7 years, $11M AAV)

[Critical13]

Hfboards February 2018 - JVR is a floater, is maybe give up a 2nd and a C prospect. Definitely not a higher end prospect.

Hfboards June 2018 - absolute steal at 7 million. Leafs are really going to miss his 30+ goals. Philly has a steal, and I could see this really undoing the good from signing Tavares.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Hfboards February 2018 - JVR is a floater, is maybe give up a 2nd and a C prospect. Definitely not a higher end prospect.

Hfboards June 2018 - absolute steal at 7 million. Leafs are really going to miss his 30+ goals. Philly has a steal, and I could see this really undoing the good from signing Tavares.

The truth is in between

 

[93gilmour93]

eh, in hockey guys tend to produce more in their early - mid 20's. If anything I'd say Tavares is towards the end of his prime where regression starts. Usually around 26-27 years old

Tavares is not like most players and that has been the case since his exceptional player status in junior. The leafs will get an elite player for the next 5 years then let's see where it's at for the final 2 seasons

 

[93gilmour93]

Hfboards February 2018 - JVR is a floater, is maybe give up a 2nd and a C prospect. Definitely not a higher end prospect.

Hfboards June 2018 - absolute steal at 7 million. Leafs are really going to miss his 30+ goals. Philly has a steal, and I could see this really undoing the good from signing Tavares.

This is a perfect example of the world leafs fans are in with HF Boards

 

[Boutette]

I don't think enough people realize how much better the Leaf's team D will be, with the addition of John Tavares.

Actually, its mostly from the subtraction of JvR, Bozak and Polak.

 

[IslesNorway]

As the game gets faster and faster Tavares probably has 4-5 years left as a great player. After that the decline will set in but his main hurdle will be the expectations that comes with playing with the Leafs. If he doesn't bring the goods right away, being the highest paid player in the world, in the biggest market in the world could could crush him.

 

[izzy]

Hfboards February 2018 - JVR is a floater, is maybe give up a 2nd and a C prospect. Definitely not a higher end prospect.

Hfboards June 2018 - absolute steal at 7 million. Leafs are really going to miss his 30+ goals. Philly has a steal, and I could see this really undoing the good from signing Tavares.

i almost wish they got rid of the boards when they got rid of hockeys future

is this what the entire summer is going to be like on here

 

[Boutette]

I wish some of my fellow Leaf fans would stop gloating so much. The payback will be intense if Matthews pulls a Tavares some day

Every Fan base in the league would gloat after a heist like this. Otherwise, who cares? Even if that happens it will be in 2026 at the earliest.

 

[Boutette]

eh, in hockey guys tend to produce more in their early - mid 20's. If anything I'd say Tavares is towards the end of his prime where regression starts. Usually around 26-27 years old

Sure keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.

 

[93gilmour93]

I don't think enough people realize how much better the Leaf's team D will be, with the addition of John Tavares.

And the addition of Johnsson. Huge upgrade on the Defensive side with the forward group

 

[Boutette]

Hfboards February 2018 - JVR is a floater, is maybe give up a 2nd and a C prospect. Definitely not a higher end prospect.

Hfboards June 2018 - absolute steal at 7 million. Leafs are really going to miss his 30+ goals. Philly has a steal, and I could see this really undoing the good from signing Tavares.

 

[KPower]

And the addition of Johnsson. Huge upgrade on the Defensive side with the forward group

Yup Bozak and JVR were so lazy on the D side.

Addition by subtraction.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

For those of you who are really worried that the Leafs are in Cap hell for some reason:

Resign:
- Gardiner (6 mill per 3 years)
- Johnsson (2 mill per 2 years)
- Kapanen (2 mill per 2 years)

Since Marleau comes off the books soon, Johnsson/Kapanen can get a raise when/if need-be when that happens. Also, we don't have to resign Gardiner since we Rielly, Dermott, Borgman, Rosen + Sandin on the LHD. But if he comes at 6 mill or under for only 3 years then we take it.

2019-2020:
Forwards = 57.25
Hyman (2.5) - Matthew's (10.5) - Nylander (6.5) = 19.5
Marleau (6.25) - Tavares (11) - Marner (7) = 24.25
Johnsson (2) - Kadri (4.5) - Kapanen (2) = 9.5
Grundstrom (ELC) - Lindholm/Gauthier (1) - Brown (2.1) = 4

Defense = 19
Reilly (5) - Dermott* (ELC) = 6
Gardiner (6) - Zaitsev (5) = 11
Borgman/Rosen (1) - Lilijegren (ELC) = 2
Sandin, Durzki, etc in minors

Goalies = 6
Andersen (5)
Backup (1)

Total = 82.5

You missed: reserve for performance bonuses, Kessel $1.2M, part of Horton's salary which depends on how much you reserve for performance bonuses. Likely $5M more total. And I guess you're just assuming someone will take Martin's contract.

There's a huge crunch coming next year no matter how you look at it. Some people have posted some creative things that are beyond my knowledge and I assume Dubas and friends looked into this very carefully so I have faith in people that know more than me but currently I have no idea how they manage it without losing a piece.

 

[Critical13]

As the game gets faster and faster Tavares probably has 4-5 years left as a great player. After that the decline will set in but his main hurdle will be the expectations that comes with playing with the Leafs. If he doesn't bring the goods right away, being the highest paid player in the world, in the biggest market in the world could could crush him.

I have no issue with that.

5 years of 1C type play would be incredible. To get that while only spending cap dollars is an incredible scenario. Usually it’s costs a team a top pick and development time to get a player of his quality. We didn’t give up Nylander or Marner.

I can live with a couple overpaid years. Most contracts I’m seeing signed have the same outcome.

 

[Boutette]

As the game gets faster and faster Tavares probably has 4-5 years left as a great player. After that the decline will set in but his main hurdle will be the expectations that comes with playing with the Leafs. If he doesn't bring the goods right away, being the highest paid player in the world, in the biggest market in the world could could crush him.

Except he isn't the highest paid player in the world. And he isn't made of tissue paper like you think he is.

 

[HolyCrap]

As the game gets faster and faster Tavares probably has 4-5 years left as a great player. After that the decline will set in but his main hurdle will be the expectations that comes with playing with the Leafs. If he doesn't bring the goods right away, being the highest paid player in the world, in the biggest market in the world could could crush him.

Then why did your team offer him more money and term? And the other teams? You guys dodged a bullet I guess.

 

[Boutette]

You missed: reserve for performance bonuses, Kessel $1.2M, part of Horton's salary which depends on how much you reserve for performance bonuses. Likely $5M more total. And I guess you're just assuming someone will take Martin's contract.

There's a huge crunch coming next year no matter how you look at it. Some people have posted some creative things that are beyond my knowledge and I assume Dubas and friends looked into this very carefully so I have faith in people that know more than me but currently I have no idea how they manage it without losing a piece.

Martin is pretty much gone. Gardiner is probably gone (Dermott steps into his place, Liljigren or Rosen steps into Dermott's place), and the Leafs have a built in escape clause in Marleau's contract (several replacements in the wings who can replicate or near replicate his 40+ yearly average). So sure, a piece or two is gone, to be replaced at a fraction of the cost with little loss in overall production/talent.

 

[Yamazaki]

 

[Yamazaki]

Still can’t believe we got Tavares! f*** yah!!!!!!

 

[Antropovsky]

Hfboards February 2018 - JVR is a floater, is maybe give up a 2nd and a C prospect. Definitely not a higher end prospect.

Hfboards June 2018 - absolute steal at 7 million. Leafs are really going to miss his 30+ goals. Philly has a steal, and I could see this really undoing the good from signing Tavares.

The leafs were tied for 2nd in the entire league in "goals for" last season. This is with Matthews being injured for 20 games, and also Nylander, Matthews, Marner all only being in their 2nd full nhl seasons (with Marner and Nylander enduring slumps).

Leafs have lost a 30 goal scorer, and replaced him with another younger, more productive, 30 goal scorer who is better defensively (it really doesn't get much worse than JVR) .

Their problem was and still isn't their ability to score goals, it's their ability to play defence.

Losing JVR was a necessity (especially considering the Tavares signing).

 

[Notsince67]

LOL. No player will want to go to that desolate hole of a hockey team now. Gonna take some years to fix things there.

It would be more effective if the Isles targeted a home town boy to take.
I would suggest Charlie McAvoy.

 

[Yamazaki]

real islander fans, not like most of the petty ones on here.

 

[Petrus]

Just catching up to this thread after 2 days of reading! Late to party but glad to be joining in with this great signing.

I finally get near the end and what do I see some people complaining about his total compensation in of 15+ million in 2018?

This 15+ m in total compensation has as much relevance as him receiving only the league minimum of 650k in base salary in a cap world where the average is what matters.

The compensation structure was done to ensure there is minimal impact in the event of lockout and maximize investment return by front loading the contract.

While I do I agree Tavares’ performance will likely regress near the end of the contract, the issue is not isolated to Tavares. This is an issue all teams will face when trying to secure top level talent (homegrown or not) at the 2nd contract after the ELC.

If your team had the cap space to add a talent or keep a tale t like Tavares at age 27-28 via free agency (and no draft picks being given away) you do it.

While there are cap implications, I would rather have the cap issue than have a talent issue on the team.

As a Leaf fan, I am totally ecstatic what this signing could potentially do for the team.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Martin is pretty much gone. Gardiner is probably gone (Dermott steps into his place, Liljigren or Rosen steps into Dermott's place), and the Leafs have a built in escape clause in Marleau's contract (several replacements in the wings who can replicate or near replicate his 40+ yearly average). So sure, a piece or two is gone, to be replaced at a fraction of the cost with little loss in overall production/talent.

I was replying to the other poster's very specific lineup and the salaries they missed.

 

[34]

eh, in hockey guys tend to produce more in their early - mid 20's. If anything I'd say Tavares is towards the end of his prime where regression starts. Usually around 26-27 years old

Not a chance. Tavares is in his prime.