Auston Matthews took the ice with his Maple Leafs teammates for the first time during a morning skate, but his status for the seventh and deciding game against Boston is still unclear. Fresh off of yet another early playoff exit, Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain John Tavares spoke to the media at the Ford Performance Centre to discuss the season in its entirety, the postseason, and what the future may hold for him and the organization. Tavares is set to enter a contract year with a full no-movement clause alongside teammate Mitch Marner, and he expressed his interest in a possible extension during Monday’s end-of-season availability. Despite claiming that he hasn’t “put much thought” into his next contract, Tavares admits that he cherishes the opportunity to represent his hometown team. “I haven't put much thought to it, but I mean, I love playing here,” Tavares said. “I think it's a remarkable place to play. And, you know, when I committed here six years ago, you know, obviously I saw a tremendous amount of talent and an amazing hockey market and organization that's fully committed to winning.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUd0QaisoU[/embed] Though it may not be the first thing he thought of when the Leafs were eliminated in Boston on Saturday, Tavares noted that “in due time, that’ll come”. More specifically, both Tavares and Marner are eligible to sign contract extensions on July 1 with both players eligible to become UFAs on July 1, 2025 – if that is the route they would choose to take instead. Tavares was among the NHL’s top 10 highest-paid players this season with an AAV of $11 million. Jogging back to the 2018 offseason, Tavares reset the market with an astonishing 7-year deal worth up to $77 million. Now at the age of 33, it’s no secret that Tavares is not producing to the standard the contract entails, producing 29 goals and 36 assists for a 65-point season in the 2023-24 campaign. With a lot of uncertainty in Toronto, it’s unclear the direction General Manager Brad Treliving will take as Tavares’ production takes a dip and he enters his final $11 million season. In previous, similar scenarios, such as Mark Giordano, Jason Spezza, and ‘Jumbo’ Joe Thornton, the three all took on ‘hometown’ discounts towards the end of their career to pursue a Stanley Cup in their hometown of Toronto. Having earned just under $100 million over the duration of his career, Tavares may be more willing to pursue an extension for considerably less money on a shorter deal. As mentioned, the Leafs can still extend their captain, though it would likely be coming in at a substantially lower price. As a still productive top-six forward for the Leafs, Tavares is more eager than anyone in the Toronto locker room to lead this team to a deep playoff run. “I haven't accomplished what we've been working to accomplish, but it's been an amazing six years for myself. Being a Maple Leaf, obviously becoming the captain, something very special I don't take for granted,” Tavares stated. With that said, this contract situation poses itself as yet another addition to an already long list of tough decisions to be made this summer from a management standpoint. As Treliving told his players today, “We have to keep pushing forward and keep getting better” because "The margins are very small and very slim," Tavares added. 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