Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares might be staying in his hometown for the long haul.
With his seven-year, $77 million contract nearing its end, speculation about Tavares' future will only heat up as we approach July and the start of free agency.
NHL analyst Steve Dangle speculated about Tavares's future, predicting him to re-sign with Toronto on a five-year, $32.5 million deal.
"Toronto. $6.5 (million) times five," Dangle said on SDP on New Year's Eve. "If he signs for less than that, it's out of the kindest of his heart because he has been great."
Tavares, 34, has been pivotal for the Leafs this season with new captain Auston Matthews missing ample time at different points through the first part of the campaign.
In 39 games, Tavares has scored 19 goals and provided 20 assists for 39 total points and a perfect point-per-game average even though he's already 34 years old.
For what it's worth, Tavares revealed his free agency intentions at the end of December when he made it clear he wanted to stay in Toronto.
"I've said it before, I would love to stay and hope it works out," Tavares said on Dec. 21. "That's my goal and my intention."
Tavares also reflected on his ultimate ambition with the Leafs, which is none other than winning the Stnaley Cup for his hometown team.
"Aside from not being able to help bring a Stanley Cup here, it's been everything I could hope for. In fact, it's been even better than I thought, to be honest," Tavares said. "Winning the Cup here remains the goal. It would be a dream fulfilled for a lot of us."
The New York Islanders drafted Tavares with the no. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft and the forward spent nine seasons with the team before signing with Toronto in 2018.
Since joining the Leafs, Tavares has scored 457 points through 478 regular-season games while appearing in 38 postseason contests scoring 24 points.
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This story was originally published January 5, 2025 at 4:33 AM