John Tavares spoke frankly, and often emotionally, about what it means to him to become a pc28Maple Leaf.
Yes, it’s the childhood team of his dreams and he invoked the names of Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Mats Sundin and Steve Thomas.
But it was joining a young team on the rise for the next seven years — not the accompanying $77 million U.S. of his contract — that seemed to be the tipping point in his decision about where to pursue the Stanley Cup.
“I believe this team has a great opportunity, and not just for the first few years of my contract,” said Tavares. “For me what was important was all seven years. I really believe there is a big window here to win and be a part of something special.
“To be from here, you start to get those emotions coming. It just felt right. It’s what I wanted to do. I know it’s a bit of an uncomfortable thing for me to do, but I didn’t want that to hold me back from a great opportunity.”
It was a surreal Canada Day, with workers switching over the signage from the Air Canada Centre to Scotiabank Arena and a real feeling that things are different around the Maple Leafs. A franchise that was once a laughingstock now has one of the game’s premier players choosing to come here. A couple of years ago, Lightning captain Steve Stamkos declined this same opportunity.
But the Leafs are a very different team now. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander have moved from prospects to stars. From finishing dead last to setting a franchise record for points, the Maple Leafs have stepped forward into Stanley Cup contention.
Tavares is a big reason why the Leafs will be considered in that conversation for some time. With Matthews, Tavares and Nazem Kadri, they boast three terrific centres.
“It’s special,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “So we’re going to be deep down the middle and that is exciting for us. You look at the teams that have success, they are deep down the middle, they have a good defence and are solid in net. We think we are set up pretty good in that way. John being older and John going through the hard knocks of the National Hockey League already, no different than Patrick Marleau when he arrived, the impact he can have on our young people is going to be immense.”
Obviously happy, Tavares was exhausted after mulling over his future for nearly a week. He spoke only of getting a good night’s rest as the way to celebrate the lucrative contract.
Babcock seemed giddy by comparison, offering the line combinations he’s etched out, at least at this juncture of the off-season: Tavares will play with Zach Hyman and Marner, Matthews with Marleau and Nylander.
“I think Mitch’s skill set, John’s skill set, Mitch is so quick, and the other side of that is that Nylander and Matthews play great together, too,” said Babcock. “We’re deep enough that Naz is going to have really good linemates, too. So is (free-agent centre Par) Lindholm. When you go through it up front, we’re going to have lots of depth and lots of speed and we will find really good mixes for those guys.”
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Tavares is the team’s highest-paid player with a cap hit of $11 million a year. Nylander is a restricted free agent and in need of a deal — probably in the $6-million range that will leave the Leafs with decent cap space and very little need to sign more players.
Matthews and Marner are up for extension and one or both could eclipse Tavares’s dollar figures in 2019-20. Those issues are for the future. His teammates were all about welcoming the star — Tavares is a difference-maker with 272 goals and 349 assists for 621 points in 666 games — to the team.
Tavares said Marleau — a veteran who left the only team he’d ever played for in San Jose for the promise of the Leafs — was instrumental in making his decision, and he was inundated by calls from his new teammates.
“Welcome aboard,” tweeted Matthews.
“Welcome home,” tweeted Marner.
“It’s exciting,” said defenceman Morgan Rielly. “It’s a big piece, it’s a big day, but there’s a lot of work to be done to achieve the end goal. He knows that, we know that.”
That end goal? Winning the Stanley Cup.
It hasn’t happened in pc28since 1967. Tavares was at a loss to say what it would mean to win it as a Leaf.
“I mean, it’s hard to put that in words, right? People have been waiting for it for a long time. People are hungry for it. The passion for the game, the passion for their Maple Leafs, is unprecedented.”
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