Is Maple Leafs’ star John Tavares leaving Toronto after this season?
Is Maple Leafs’ star John Tavares leaving Toronto after this season? Don’t be surprised if that conversation comes up throughout the year.
The Toronto Maple Leafs must win the Stanley Cup this season as this may be the final year with the “core four” together. Two massive pieces could find new homes after this season and could dramatically change the look of the forward group and this team. Specifically John Tavares.
Drafted first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares came into the NHL after a successful career with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
He would keep the same offensive production during his tenure with New York, placing himself among the NHL’s greatest offensive weapons during that time.
However, over time, he began to feel unappreciated and undervalued. This would cause him to leave the Islanders organization in a stunning move. He would make his way to Canada and sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2018, on a seven-year deal worth $77 million.
He would soon fit right in and be a force on the ice with a new lease on life. He meant so much to the organization that he was named captain on October 2, 2019.
His offensive flair would continue as Toronto now had a fearsome foursome up front. Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, and William Nylander would not only make up half of the team’s salary cap but would rank among the deadliest forward groups in the league.
