Toronto Maple Leafs Made a Huge Mistake with John Tavares that will Cost Them Dearly
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Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs had an opportunity to sign John Tavares for a bargain, but Brad Treliving looked the other way, and it is coming back to bite him.
John Tavares had a shockingly good season with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the age of 34 years old. 38 goals and 74 points is truly nothing to scoff at.
Having said that, Tavares is about to become a free agent, and that is a bit of a problem considering he is now worth a lot more than he was at the start of this past season.
Based on current reports, the veteran forward is interested in returning to the Maple Leafs franchise. The feeling is mutual, and negotiations will begin next month.
John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs
However, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the Maple Leafs made a huge mistake with Tavares, which could cost them millions of dollars.
Essentially, Tavares was ready to sign an extension worth $5 million per season. However, general manager Brad Treliving opted to kick the can down the road instead. Now, Tavares is worth a lot more than $5 million per year.
"At the start of the year, last September at camp, I think Tavares' camp told the Leafs that he'd be ready to extend then and there and they probably would have signed for around 5 million a year. Then he went out and had a huge season, so I don't know if the number can stay there."
These days, it is believed that Tavares could fetch upwards of $7 million from both the Leafs and the open market.
This poses a challenge for the Leafs, who are still holding out hope for Mitch Marner and are also looking to avoid an offer sheet situation with Matthew Knies.
Needless to say, the Maple Leafs are in a bit of a bind right now, and this is going to be a challenging Summer for everyone involved.
Only time will tell whether or not Brad Treliving can figure this out and get his where it needs to be for next season.
| POLL | ||
MAI 23 | 775 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Made a Huge Mistake with John Tavares that will Cost Them Dearly Will John Tavares be with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season? | ||
| YES | 625 | 80.6 % |
| NO | 150 | 19.4 % |
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