The Toronto Maple Leafs have delivered a very exciting assessment of John Tavares. The 35-year-old forward is entering the second year of his latest four-year deal with the franchise, carrying a cap hit of just over $4.3 million and a total value of $17.56 million.
Tavares is perhaps one of the clearest examples of what Leafs fans want from all of their players. He is a committed professional with a strong sense of belonging to the organization, and he has set aside excessive financial ambition because he understands there is little difference between making a lot of money and making even more.
On top of that, his recent decision to offer Gavin McKenna a place to stay this season continues a franchise tradition of passing that level of professionalism down to young prospects. It is a superb move from Tavares, honestly.
That said, as one of the NHL’s most demanding fan bases, it is clear that expectations surrounding Tavares are mixed, and being a great professional does not mean he is exempt from scrutiny. During the seven years in which he earned $11 million per year, there were many times when it felt like he fell short in terms of total points produced in some of those seasons.
Heading into the upcoming campaign, the Leafs have received an exciting assessment from Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on the latest edition of Leaf Morning Take on Sept. 10.
In very simple terms, neither co-host had anything bad to say about Tavares, and both expect him to have a season that lives up to expectations.
Maple Leafs Co-Hosts Predict John Tavares Will Surpass 60 Points
“Over/under 60 points. What are you taking?” Alberga asked.
Rosehill said, “What was he last year? 72? Around there, yeah. Yeah, and he’s never had 90 points in his career, so he’s not, like, popping off, like, crazy. I think he’s over 60 points, man.”
“I think the team, I think they’re gonna be lethal this year. I think they’re gonna be able to overwhelm teams, and they’re more well-rounded. You don’t have to ride your top horses as much as you have in the past. I think he does it. As I said, he’s durable, and he hasn’t missed much time.”
“I think there’s opportunity for him to get to that 60-point limit, as he did again last year and exceeded it. I’m taking the over, not to mention two more games. Can’t forget that. They go from 82 to 84, and I think even JT would probably take 60 points, but I think he gets more than that.”
“Just the attachment, the exposure to some of the big boys alone, whether it’s the power play, whether it’s the top six. And I like the point that you made. Like, I think Tavares has been dealing with the speed bull—- and the jokes for, like, 15, 20 years now, and it just doesn’t seem to impact this guy.”
“He doesn’t get too high. He doesn’t get too low. And he’s, like, the perfect example of a guy who’s built for this market. Like, just nothing fazes John Tavares, and he’s a pro day in, day out. So, like you, I’m expecting a John Tavares-like offensive season, plain and simple.”
Maple Leafs Issued Exciting John Tavares Assessment Before NHL Season