Maple Leafs Likely to Give Tavares The ‘Stamkos Treatment’

It’s going to be a tough pill for Stamkos to swallow. So too, it will be intriguing to see if he ultimately tests the free agency waters elsewhere.

Will the Maple Leafs Take the Same Approach With John Tavares?

Comparisons are drawn to John Tavares’ situation in Toronto, where rumors of a four or five-year deal at $7 million are debunked. O’Neil sarcastically said, “Excuse me? What are you talking about? It’s like they just gave him 80 million dollars!”

He then emphasizes the business aspect of a Tavares extension, highlighting that teams like the Leafs won’t easily offer a high-value contract to veteran player like Tavares moving forward. The notion of Tavares returning under a cost-effective deal and accepting a reduced on-ice role is likely a given. Comparing Tavares’ situation to Stamkos’, he notes, “Right, well so what do you think Tampa’s doing oh so he’s the captain they’re just giving Stamos a four-year deal at $7 million, no they’re not… it’s a business man. It’s big business.”

They figure, at best, the Leafs will tell Tavares that if he wants to come back, he’ll have to lock in on a cheap deal. From there, he’ll need to become a third or fourth-line player who is not going to be an impact player. The hosts all seemed to concur that Tavares may have little choice but to play elsewhere as it’s a difficult thing to bring that guy back into the locker room. Kevin Hayes called it a serious transition that Tavares would have to be comfortable with.