Tavares turning back the clock in contract year: 'I’m just playing'
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Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares is on pace for 40 goals after posting a natural hat trick in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Tavares has hit the 40-goal mark just once in his previous 15 NHL seasons, scoring 47 in his first year with the Maple Leafs in 2018-19.
The 34-year-old now has a chance to do so for a second time as he plays out the last of a seven-year, $77 million deal inked with Toronto in 2018. He is currently scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1.
The Mississauga, Ont. native has 13 goals and 28 points in 30 games this season after posting 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games last season.
“I’m just playing,” Tavares said after Sunday's win. “I think I’ve got a lot of belief in my game and what I can do, whether that is scoring or just making an impact all over the ice. So just continue to help this team as best I can.
"My whole life I’ve been able to produce offensively, score goals, and just want to continue to do that when those chances present themselves.”
Selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 draft, Tavares was captain of the team from 2013 until leaving the franchise for Toronto in 2018. He was named captain of the Maple Leafs in 2019, and passed the "C" off to Auston Matthews this past summer.
Tavares sits second on the Maple Leafs in goals this season behind only William Nylander, who remains on a career-best pace with 18. He's third on the team in points behind Mitch Marner (41) and Nylander (31).
Now wearing an "A", Tavares has remained a leader for the Maple Leafs and quickly spread praise to his teammates for the comeback win on Sunday.
“(Dennis) Hildeby was strong and I loved the way (Max) Domi’s line, him, (Nicholas) Robertson and Bobby (McMann) just skating really well, good pace and got a big goal for us to get us back in it, so really good to see them be such a factor for us all night,” Tavares said. “They’re real important players for us, so excited to see them get on the board and play the way they did.”
While Tavares' future in Toronto remains uncertain, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported in October that the two sides had opened contract talks.
"The Leafs are involved in, perhaps a little bit less complicated of negotiation with John Tavares, who has made it very clear he would like to remain in Toronto, has no interest in testing the free-agent market, but to this point, discussions have not gotten to a stage where everyone is comfortable with the deal on the table," TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston updated of the situation late last month. "One thing that’s popped up as a possibility here is using deferred salary compensation as a way, perhaps, to bridge some of the financial gap that exists today.
"You’ll remember the Leafs did use this with Jake McCabe, lowering his cap hit on the extension he signed in October. Carolina did it with a couple players over the summer. And so, as these negotiations and discussions with Tavares go on, I think that’s certainly a possibility we see should they get to an extension."
Tavares has topped the 30-goal six times in his 15-year career. He is sixth among active players with 471 career goals and eighth among active players in points with 1,068 over his 1,139 career games.
The Maple Leafs have six pending unrestricted free agents on their roster, a list that also includes Marner. Toronto inked McCabe to a five-year, $22.57 million contract in late October to secure his future with the team.