As obvious as John Tavares has made his intentions to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs once his current deal ends next July, fans hadn’t received a true update on where things stood between the player and the team over a contract extension.
That changed on Saturday, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta claimed that Tavares and the Maple Leafs have agreed to a contract extension that would allow the Mississauga native to stay in Toronto. While not yet officially disclosed due to “some finetuning,” the arrangement is expected to be for three years with an average annual value of roughly $7 million. “Tavares needs a new contract.
There has been talk of a three-year extension in place that needs some tweaking, but no one will confirm,” Pagnotta said. “His AAV will drop, likely in the $7 million range.” Tavares, 34, has been a vital player for the Leafs this season despite being removed from team captaincy, with 21 goals and 24 assists in 47 games.
With Auston Matthews taking over as captain at the start of the season, Tavares has continued to play a leadership role and stepped up when Matthews was out earlier this season. If Pagnotta’s information is right, Tavares’ annual salary would fall from $11 million to $7 million, a $4 million reduction from his current cap hit.
With the NHL’s salary cap likely to climb dramatically in the future years–to a projected $104 million in 2026-27–Tavares’ new contract would also reduce his share of the Leafs’ payroll over time.
The New York Islanders selected Tavares with the first overall choice in the 2009 NHL draft. Tavares joined the Leafs as a free agent in 2018, signing a seven-year, $77 million contract, and has since scored 464 points in 487 games.