John Tavares holds slightly less leverage than many typical star players approaching unrestricted free agency. This is largely because he has openly stated his strong desire to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of his career. Consequently, the 34-year-old is not currently taking a rigid negotiating stance with his team.
From the Maple Leafs` perspective, General Manager Brad Treliving spoke highly of Tavares at his recent year-end press conference. However, he also indicated that the team`s future plans were not yet finalized to the point of guaranteeing new contracts for either Tavares or Mitch Marner before the July 1st deadline. While Marner`s future in Toronto is uncertain, it remains highly likely that Tavares and the Leafs will engage in serious discussions about a potential new deal.
If Tavares`s representatives decide to apply some pressure during negotiations, their most significant point of leverage could be highlighting the potential void and sharp decline in performance the team would likely face at the second-line center position if Tavares were not to return next season. This situation underscores the challenge Toronto would face in finding a comparable replacement in the upcoming off-season market.
