NHL insider not so sure the Leafs should keep John Tavares long-term

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Daniel Lucente
August 16, 2024 (6:01 PM)

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Bryan Hayes, prominent NHL insider, isn't so sure the Leafs should be holding any immediate contract extensions with former captain John Tavares.

It's never a good thing when the captaincy of a team gets stripped of you to be given to someone else, no matter how anyone tries to spin it. The reality is, there's something about John Tavares the Leafs didn't like, and they made it known in a very harsh way by giving the "C" to Auston Matthews instead. The debate is now whether Tavares should even stay in Toronto after his contract expires next summer.

"Well, and even putting the value aside, this is what I find a bit confusing. There's this big debate over, alright, what should the number be? Before you even get to that, should he be here at all? Like, that's-again, the core four-this is where there's a divide in the fan base, and there always will be," Hayes said (via TSN).

Many fans of the Leafs are divided on the direction that the franchise is taking with these latest moves. Some are happy for change, while others feel Tavares should have remained as captain. The same divide exists as to whether John Tavares should stay long-term with the team or whether they should cut ties after the next season ends.

It appears that the best thing to do right now would be to wait on signing John Tavares to any contract extension, and just let the season play out to see how things go between him and the team. Tavares is already 34, so the Leafs may not feel too comfortable signing him long-term, but perhaps that's what he wants to secure the rest of his playing days.

"The best thing for the Leafs to do is let the season play out and reassess accordingly. Effectively, if they choose to go ahead and sign him to an extension now, in the long run, it could prove to be a bad decision," Alberga writes.

Bryan Hayes believes it might be risky to sign John Tavares even before anyone knows if the team will have success. Another failed year will absolutely require changes in Leaf land.

John Tavares is coming off the lowest productive campaign since his rookie year. He managed to score 29 goals and had 65 points in 80 games last season with the Leafs.

Source: Sportskeeda
"Should he be here at all?": Bryan Hayes questions John Tavares' rumored extension after failed Core Four experiment

Source: HockeyDB
John Tavares Stats