Tavares ‘optimistic’ new contract will get done with Maple Leafs
Pending unrestricted free agent John Tavares said Tuesday he is “optimistic” about being able to re-sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Pending unrestricted free agent John Tavares said Tuesday he is “optimistic” about being able to re-sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The former captain told reporters during the team’s locker clean-out day, two days after being ousted from the playoffs by the Florida Panthers, that he’d had positive conversations with general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube about his future in blue and white.
“I’m very optimistic that it can work out where I’m back,” he said.
Tavares has been clear about his stance on wanting to stay with his hometown club. In the immediate aftermath of Sunday night’s season-ending Game 7 loss, he said the opportunity to play for Toronto has “meant everything” to him. Asked directly if he wanted to return, Tavares said, “Yes.”
He expanded on those feelings Tuesday, calling his experience in Toronto “unbelievable” and expressing his desire to be part of the team’s success in the future.
The 2024-25 campaign was a season of much change for Tavares in Toronto, who, after five years as captain, saw the C removed from his sweater and handed to Auston Matthews.
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If he makes it to the open market on July 1, it’ll be the first time Tavares is fielding contract calls since 2018 when he signed a seven-year, $77-million deal with the Maple Leafs on the opening day of free agency. That decision drastically altered the makeup of Toronto’s roster. There’s a feeling that this year’s negotiations will, too, as the club makes crucial decisions on its core — including not just Tavares, but Mitch Marner. Marner is scheduled to hit free agency for the first time in his career and talks around a potential return will be a major focal point in Toronto and around the league until a deal is done.
When asked about the futures of both Tavares and Marner, Berube declined to comment on contract talks, saying he hasn’t been in on those kinds of conversations with general manager Brad Treliving at this point.
“That’s for Brad to comment on that stuff,” said Berube. He did, however, make clear his stance on whether he’d like to see the team bring both Tavares and Marner back into the fold:
“One hundred per cent,” he said.
