After getting past the Ottawa Senators in the first round, the Toronto Maple Leafs hoped to reach the Eastern Conference Final this season, but the Florida Panthers had other plans. The Leafs came one win short of management’s target, but how they lost games five and seven at home was remarkable, but not in a good way. Now that the wind of change is blowing in Toronto, claiming its first victim in Brendan Shanahan, could it blow free agent John Tavares to Montreal?
The former Leafs captain has already said he would like to sign another contract with the Leafs. However, after stripping him of his captaincy last off-season and another disappointment this postseason, will Brad Treliving want to go back to the Tavares well? And more importantly, how much of a pay cut will the centerman entertain?
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It was six years ago that Tavares told the Montreal Canadiens not to bother putting an offer together; he didn’t want to meet with them when he held court, and multiple teams pleaded their case to entice him to sign. Some will say he was only going through the motions as it was always going to be Toronto, and that may well have been true, but still, he took the time to test the water.
The 34-year-old center put up 74 points in 75 games this season, just short of the point-per-game mark, and when Auston Matthews was injured, he had no problem sliding into the first center role. With a 58.3% success rate at the faceoff dot and his defensive abilities, Tavares is a complete player and could be a big help for any team, but would the fit be right in Montreal?
While the Canadiens desperately need a second-line center, and Tavares would undoubtedly be a more suitable alternative than Kirby Dach based on what we’ve seen so far, signing him on the free market would be a mistake. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton should and will be looking for an option who will still be around when this team is ready to contend, not for a 34-year-old just a few years away from retirement.
While every team needs veteran leadership, something must be said about bringing on a veteran who’s won it all. With respect to Tavares, he has never drunk from the Stanley Cup, and bringing him on at this stage would be like the Leafs bringing on Joe Thornton and then Patrick Marleau. It’s too early to bring on the finishing touches, and Tavares is not it. He won his fair share of gold medals on the international stage, but failed to bring the New York Islanders and the Maple Leafs to the promised land.
Photo credit: May 18, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) during warm up before game seven of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena. Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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