‘I want to be here’: John Tavares wants to stay with the Maple Leafs long-term

One of the veteran leaders in the hockey mecca of the world wants to stick around.

During the Toronto Maple Leafs media availability on Wednesday, forward John Tavares was asked about his contract situation with the team. The 33-year-old admitted that while he isn’t focused on a new deal, he admitted he wants to continue playing for his hometown team.

“I want to be here and be here long term,” Tavares said. “So, hopefully that happens.”

The Mississauga native is entering the final year of his seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs, which he signed on July 1, 2018. His cap hit is $11 million, the third-highest on the team. He was captain for the last five years, but the team made a change this offseason, giving Auston Matthews the ‘C’ starting this season.

Tavares, though, admits how last season ended has inspired him to enter the 2024-25 campaign with plenty of vigor and spark.

“From a personal standpoint, it’s been a very good offseason. I’m as driven as I’ve ever been throughout the course of my career.”

There is no question, Tavares is still one of the better players in the NHL. However, after a down 2023-24 season, many wonder what he is worth in dollars. For most of his tenure in Toronto, the former Oshawa General has been nearly a point-a-game player, achieving that mark during the 2018-19 and 2022-23 seasons. Even during the COVID-shortened seasons, Tavares was a near-30-goal scorer.

Yet, the former New York Islander has unquestionably lost a step. While his work in the corners and around the front of the net is solid, his speed has diminished over the last couple of seasons. It didn’t help that he received plenty of criticism for his performance during the Leafs’ opening-round loss to the Boston Bruins last spring, where Tavares registered just two points in seven games.

That said, Tavares can still be a solid player for the Leafs beyond this season. Unless he really falls off in 2024-25, there are plenty of reasons to keep him around. The only hurdle will be finding a number that the Leafs can afford to pay him, and whether or not the terms will be enough for Tavares to avoid looking elsewhere.

Across 15 seasons in the NHL, Tavares has appeared in 1,109 games, scoring 456 goals and 584 assists for 1,040 points. He has also registered 46 points in 62 playoff games.