Pierre LeBrun Confirms Bad News Between John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares is up for a new contract this summer, and for all intents and purposes, it would appear as though it's going to be expensive.
Last season, Maple Leafs fans expected John Tavares to experience some sort of decline, especially when you consider the fact that he was turning 34 years old.
However, the opposite was true of the former Maple Leafs captain. He ended up scoring 38 goals and added 36 assists for a total of 74 points in 75 games.
It was an incredible campaign, although fans knew it was going to be very costly once his contract expired at the end of the season.
How much will John Tavares earn with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Prior to Tavares scoring 38 goals and showing little to no decline, the expectation was that the forward's next deal would carry an AAV of between $4-$5 million.
However, the Leafs fanbase has had to reckon with the fact that in order to keep the center, they are going to have to spend a lot more money than they hoped.
This news was confirmed by none other than Pierre LeBrun, who wrote in The Athletic that Tavares is all but guaranteed to make at least $5 million per season on his next deal, and not a penny less than that.
This is going to be a hard pill to swallow for the Maple Leafs, who now have to pay Matthew Knies and a plethora of other free agents who will become available.
The Leafs are expected to pursue guys like Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and many others. However, if Tavares is being paid too much, then there might not be a lot of money left over.
Overall, this entire offseason is going to be fascinating for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who desperately need to have a good summer.
While the team expects to lose Mitch Marner, losing John Tavares as well would be a disaster of epic proportions.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 12 | 358 ANSWERS Pierre LeBrun Confirms Bad News Between John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs need to bring back John Tavares? | ||
| YES | 284 | 79.3 % |
| NO | 74 | 20.7 % |
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