Report: Maple Leafs, Tavares have had extension talks
The Toronto Maple Leafs and veteran forward John Tavares have engaged in contract extension discussions, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
While LeBrun doesn't believe anything is imminent, he expects dialogue between the two sides to pick up again soon.
Tavares is entering the final campaign of the seven-year, $77-million contract he signed as a free agent in 2018.
The 34-year-old is coming off a season in which he tallied 29 goals and 36 assists in 80 contests. His 0.81 points per game represent his worst since his rookie season in 2009-10 with the New York Islanders.
Tavares has averaged 78 points per 82 games during his six campaigns in Toronto. His best came in 2018-19 when he set career highs with 47 goals and 88 points.
He's been less productive in the postseason, though, managing 12 goals and 12 assists in 38 playoff games during his Leafs tenure. Toronto has only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once with Tavares, though he was the one to send them to Round 2 with a dramatic, series-clinching overtime winner in Game 6 versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
Tavares served as Toronto's captain for five seasons before passing the "C" to Auston Matthews this past offseason.
The Maple Leafs project to have roughly $30 million in cap space next summer. Mitch Marner and Jake McCabe (who the team has also discussed an extension with) highlight the team's other 2025 unrestricted free agents, alongside restricted free agents Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson, Connor Dewar, and Conor Timmins.
It's unclear how much Tavares might earn on his next contract, but Evolving-Hockey projects a three-year deal with a $7.51-million cap hit.