Pierre LeBrun unveils eye-opening contract comparables for John Tavares

As reported by Hockey Patrol, the 34-year-old forward has expressed his desire to finish his career with his hometown team.

With his current contract expiring soon, NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun offered insight into what his next deal might look like.

Pierre LeBrun compared Tavares' situation to those of Claude Giroux and Anze Kopitar which in 2022, Claude Giroux signed a three-year, $18.5M contract with the Ottawa Senators.

Anze Kopitar, on his side secured a two-year, $14M extension with the Los Angeles Kings in 2023.

Both players transitioned from being superstars to reliable veterans while maintaining strong offensive production just like Tavares for the Leafs.

Given these comparables, a new deal for Tavares in the range of $6-7M per season for 2-3 years seems reasonable.

This structure would balance his contributions and maintaining the Leafs' salary cap flexibility for the future.

John Tavares has remained productive this seasonby scoring 15 goals and 13 assists while maintaining a plus-5 rating.

He continues to thrive as the Leafs' second-line center and shows no signs of slowing down and his leadership and consistent performance make him an asset worth retaining.

Re-signing Tavares to a reduced salary would benefit the Leafs' long-term plan to keep their Core 4, which contains Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares intact.

By accepting a modest pay cut, John Tavares could help the Leafs remain competitive which is giving them flexibility to build a stronger team around their core stars.