John Tavares wants to stay in Toronto. The former Maple Leafs captain made that clear when speaking to reporters shortly after his team was eliminated in the second round at the hands of the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers. This desire, coupled with the Maple Leafs' cap constraints, begs the question: How can both sides find common ground? Reportedly, the Maple Leafs would welcome him back, but not at the hefty $11 million per season salary cap hit that came with his first contract in Toronto. Recent contracts signed by other players offer a compelling glimpse into potential solutions.
The Chris Tanev Contract with Toronto (2024)
One recent deal that offers a hint is the Chris Tanev contract signed on July 1, 2024. When the Maple Leafs signed the veteran defenseman to a six-year, $27 million contract, there were some eyebrows raised at the amount of term given to a player that will be 40 at the end of the contract. However, Toronto showed no concern regarding that aspect. They were more than happy to give him the money if it meant bringing the average annual value of his contract down. If it ever got to the later years where Tanev isn’t effective or able to play due to the wear and tear that comes from his blocking style, the club could just stash the contract on long-term injured reserve. This strategy of offering term for a lower AAV, despite age concerns, could be applied to Tavares, who is entering free agency at the same age as Tanev.
The Yanni Gourde Extension In Tampa (2025)
The Yanni Gourde contract extension provides another interesting precedent. Gourde is coming off a contract that paid him an average annual value of $5,166,667 per season, but the forward agreed to a six-year extension that pays him just 45 percent of his current deal. His numbers did see a bit of a decline, but he likely could have commanded a number higher than the one he got. But the player loves it in Tampa; he only had to leave because the Seattle Kraken claimed him in the 2021 Expansion Draft. And, like Tanev, they have committed to him until he’s 39, which is a risk for a forward like that. But they did give much of that money in upfront signing bonuses, which can increase the value. And if he’s ineffective or can’t play in his later years, he will go to long-term injured reserve. By agreeing to this, Gourde has his salary locked in until 2029 and doesn’t have to worry about extending his career via a PTO or minimum deal like most players of his skill and age at that point in their careers. Gourde's willingness to take a significant pay cut for long-term security, especially with upfront bonuses, presents another avenue for Tavares and the Leafs.
Jake McCabe, Deferred Money In Toronto (2024)
Jake McCabe's five-year contract with some deferred money also offers insights. McCabe signed a five-year extension with the Leafs that kicks in this upcoming season. While the total money is $23.5 million, he has a salary cap hit of $4,513,102 instead of $4.7 million due to a total of $5.5 million of his money being paid in deferred compensation. The cap hit is based on the present value of the contract in order to factor in inflation, etc. The difference of a cap hit of just $186,898 is negligible, but you can really get creative in deferred money if a player agrees to take most of it later. The use of deferred compensation, as seen in McCabe's deal, offers a powerful tool to further reduce Tavares's immediate cap hit.
Tavares's Potential Deal
And that’s where Tavares comes in. Tavares scored 38 goals last season. While he’s not an $11 million player, he’s probably an $8 million player on the open market. Somewhere in the $5-6 million range would be a considerable hometown discount for Tavares, but even that number could be considered high for the Leafs if they want to manage things.
To illustrate this further, we can use a deferred payment calculator, such as the one provided by Puckpedia.com. Say the Leafs want to ensure that they are fair with Tavares and give him a $6 million over three-year deal. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that after that contract expires, the player could pull a Jason Spezza and want to keep playing until 39 or 40. So, say you offer something like 5 years at $20 million. That gets the AAV down to $4 million per season. They could front-load some of those years with signing bonuses, which the Leafs have always done with their players. If they want to get even more creative, they could give half the bonus money in upfront signing bonuses and the other half in deferred payments, further decreasing the AAV. By deferring $1.5 million per year for four years, the cap hit can get down to just under $3.8 million. It’s a palatable deal and it would allow Toronto to keep the veteran in the fold with very minimal risk and impact to their salary cap.
A potential Tavares extension while using PuckPedia.com's deferred payment calculator.
By strategically utilizing longer terms, upfront bonuses, and deferred compensation—mirroring recent team-friendly deals—the Maple Leafs possess the tools to construct a contract that keeps John Tavares in Toronto while successfully navigating their salary cap challenges. Not it's just about finding those numbers that work for both sides.
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