The Toronto Maple Leafs made a major splash in the 2018 offseason when they chose to sign John Tavares to an extremely lucrative seven-year, $77 million contract that carries a cap hit of $11 million. This contract was lauded by most at the time, with many believing the Maple Leafs would be crowned Stanley Cup champions in the years to come.
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We now know that hasn’t been the case. Since signing Tavares, the Maple Leafs have had some strong regular seasons, but just one playoff series win. As a result, Tavares has caught plenty of flak because of his contract. While it might have been a miscalculation by former Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas to sign him at that price, it has dropped Tavares’ stock in the eyes of many.
Tavares Has Been Very Productive in Toronto
Before he signed with the Maple Leafs, Tavares was viewed as one of the NHL’s brightest talents. He carried the New York Islanders offensively, helping players like Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo put up significant totals that they wouldn’t have done on their own.
Tavares, who was selected first overall by the Islanders in 2009, made his mark on the franchise immediately. He had a team-leading 54 points in his rookie season and led the team in scoring in seven of his nine seasons with the organization. In 669 games, he scored 272 goals and 621 points – all the more impressive given the Islanders’ difficulties putting pucks in the net.
Tavares also had an immediate impact on the Maple Leafs, scoring a career-high 47 goals and 88 points in his first season. Since then, he’s continued to hover around the point-per-game mark. Through 30 games this season, he has 15 goals and 28 points. In his 470 games with the Maple Leafs, he has 199 goals and 447 points, which is very close to the same pace he had throughout his time on Long Island.
Despite his production, many continue to claim that the 34-year-old seems to be slowing down in recent years. Yet, between the 2021-22 season and 2023-24, he’s recorded 221 points in 239 games. By his standards, last season’s 65 points were disappointing, but he’s quickly proving it was a bad season. His 23 even-strength points this season are second on the Maple Leafs to Mitch Marner’s 24.
Yet, Tavares’ name didn’t come up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament set to take place in February. He somehow even missed out on many snub team rosters, which is inexplicable given the numbers he continues to produce.
Granted, Tavares has struggled to produce in the playoffs. Through a combined 38 postseason games since joining the organization, he has a disappointing 24 points. However, he’s far from the only Maple Leaf to struggle when the stakes are raised.
Tavares is Still an Incredible Player
Those who claim Tavares is overpaid are not wrong. His contract suggests he should be near the top of the NHL leaderboards every season, which he hasn’t been. However, that criticism shouldn’t be placed on him, as he’s been producing at almost the same clip since before he signed his monstrous deal.
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Unfortunately, Tavares’ stock has dropped significantly in the eyes of many because of his contract. But, if you take his salary out of the equation and focus on the stats, he is still a top-tier NHLer. Considering all the flak he’s taken over the years, it is fair to say that he is one of the NHL’s most underappreciated talents.
