With Tavares locked up on four-year deal, Leafs set focus on off-season

John Tavares is staying home. The centre from Oakville, Ont. signed a four-year, $18-million contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. 

"I wanted to make it work and find a way to make a deal that was very good for both sides," said Tavares, who produced 74 points in 75 games last season. "It never got to the point where I had to really look at other options and consider it."

Tavares scored more goals (38) than any other pending unrestricted free agent, but chose not to chase top dollar on the open market.

Tavares' new deal counts just $4.38 million against the salary cap per season, which is significantly less than what centre Brock Nelson, who scored 26 goals last year, just signed for with the Colorado Avalanche. Nelson's new three-year deal carries an annual average value of $7.5 million.

Dallas Stars centre Matt Duchene, who scored 30 goals last season, just signed a four-year extension with a $4.5 million annual average value. 

"Even though I still left some money out there, I've done pretty well," Tavares said. "I'm still doing pretty well. I get to play for an amazing club and a great city — a place where I am from, and a team that has a real opportunity to win."

Tavares, who just completed a seven-year, $77 million contract, described feeling happy, grateful and a bit relieved after signing the deal on Friday. 

Considering how thin the centre market is this year, Tavares likely would have been in demand had he remained unsigned. 

"No doubt in my mind, there was more money for John outside of Toronto," said Leafs general manager Brad Treliving. "His commitment was to find a way to make it work for him in Toronto."

Tavares, who graciously passed the captaincy to Auston Matthews last summer, has lay down deep roots in Toronto since coming home. He launched a charitable foundation and welcomed three children into the world after signing here in 2018. 

"Those things come into play and are a factor," he said. "The support I have had from my wife and family has been tremendous. Whatever I decided or felt was best, they were going to support that and be there with that." 

---

Tavares will turn 35 in September, but the Leafs believe he will continue to be productive throughout this new contract.

"We all expect aging curves to kick in at some point," Treliving acknowledged. "John has been able to defy it, and it is a credit to the way he looks after himself and the commitment that he has to his craft and his body. His preparation is second to none. We expect John to be a really good player moving forward."

Tavares has never been the fastest player, but he's always found ways to keep up and get where he needs to go. He is often on the ice before practices to work with skating consultant Paul Matheson. Tavares also stays out late after many practices to work with Patrick O'Sullivan from the team's player development staff. 

"I take a lot of pride in how I try to get better, how I approach the game and my craft with my passion and love for it," Tavares said. "I have a tremendous amount of belief in who I am and what I can do to continue to play at an elite level and help this team."

Treliving pointed out that Tavares was even at the practice facility on Thursday putting in work. 

"It certainly comes with a little bit of genetics, but there is a lot of work that goes into it," Treliving said. "I don't know if there is a more committed athlete that I have been around in terms of his preparation, how he looks after himself, and the work that he puts in. He is second-to-none that way."

Tavares has developed a series of routines over the years to help him fend off Father Time. 

"If we go on a one-day road trip, you think John is leaving for three weeks because he has a number of bags with him with different apparatuses that he uses off the ice in terms of stretching, Plyometrics, and all sorts of things," Treliving said.

After just two playoff series wins in the last seven years, Tavares sounds like a man with unfinished business in Toronto. He liked how Craig Berube coached the team in his first season behind the bench. 

"The type of team that we have and the type of game we have shown over the last few years — and certainly with Chief coming in this year, and the type of mindset he brought to our group — is something we can build on," he said. "It can be the type of game, and we can be the type of team, that breaks through and finds a way against whoever our opponent is."

Tavares produced seven points in 13 playoff games this spring. He was limited to two goals in the seven-game loss to the Florida Panthers in the second round. 

---

The Tavares contract provides a boost for Leafs management as they embark on a challenging off-season. 

"It is a really good day," Treliving said at the start of his Zoom session with the media. 

One day earlier, Treliving admitted that the team's other big pending unrestricted free agent, Mitch Marner, is expected to hit the market on Tuesday. 

"I think the world of Mitchy, first and foremost, as a person," said Tavares. "It is a great friendship that has developed. We have also had great chemistry from the times we've played together throughout our time here."

Tavares scored a career high 47 goals while playing on a line with Marner in his first season with the Leafs. 

Marner, who has served as an alternate captain in Toronto, just posted a career-high 102 points.

"If he does end up leaving, it is a very difficult player and person to replace in what he brings to the team on and off the ice," Tavares continued. "It is obviously going to be up to Tre and the club to find their way and how they go about that."

Even with that concession, Tavares isn't quite ready to close the door on the Marner era. 

"You never know," he said. "You always hold out hope that a person and a player like Mitchy ends up staying and it works out, but you are also realistic about the situation, where things are at, and what could potentially happen. If he does move on, I wish him the best, but you always hold out slight hope that it works out."

---

Toronto did not make a selection in the first round of the draft on Friday night. Once they do start making picks on Saturday, will the Leafs be looking for players who can handle the heat of a big market?

"I think these kids are a lot more worldly than they were 20 years ago," said director of amateur scouting Mark Leach. "In their youth hockey growing up, they travel all around the world playing and developing. This being a big market is no different than New York or Detroit. Florida had 500,000 people at the parade. They are always under the gun. The media, with the way it is today, is what it is. There is going to be pressure no matter where they play."

If anything, Leach feels playing in Toronto is a big selling point. 

"I have not heard any problem with it," he said. "There is something to the Original Six. A lot of kids want to play for Original Six teams. There is definitely something about it that is special and unique."

Leach spent the previous 11 seasons with the Stars. The biggest difference between operating in Texas versus Toronto? 

"Media," he said with a grin. "No, really, there is no difference. We go about our business the same way. I was fortunate to work for Jim Nill in Dallas and Detroit. There is no real difference for me. We just go about our business on the amateur side, do what we do, and prepare."

The Leafs have six picks in this year's draft with the first one coming at No. 64. 

---

Tavares in Toronto by the numbers: 

Games played in Leafs franchise history

1. George Armstrong 1,188
2. Tim Horton 1,184
3. Borje Salming 1,099

42. John Tavares 515 

Goals in Leafs franchise history

1. Mats Sundin 420
2. Auston Matthews 401
3. Darryl Sittler 389

13. John Tavares 222 

Game-winning goals in Leafs franchise history 

1. Mats Sundin 79 
2. Auston Matthews 63 
3. Dave Keon 63 

9. John Tavares 40

Power-play goals in Leafs franchise history

1. Mats Sundin 124
2. Darryl Sittler 120
3. Auston Matthews 104

7. John Tavares 72 

Assists in Leafs franchise history

1. Borje Salming 620
2. Mats Sundin 567
3. Darryl Sittler 527

19. John Tavares 271