The Tampa Bay Lightning signing a 33-year-old to a six-year contract raises eyebrows at first, but it should give the Toronto Maple Leafs an idea of what to do with their former captain.
The Lightning signed left winger Yanni Gourde to a six-year deal for a relative bargain at $2.3 million per season, a major pay cut on the $5.17 million he made for the past six years.
That's a heck of a lot of term for someone who's past his prime, but Tampa Bay GM Julien BriseBois took a philosophical approach with Gourde that could prove to be a blueprint for the Maple Leafs to follow with pending UFA center John Tavares.
We doubt other teams were lining up to offer Gourde a five-year contract, especially given Gourde's modest production of seven goals and 31 points in 57 games this season.
But with the salary cap ceiling set to rise to $95.5 million next season, $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28, Gourde's salary will be easy to fit in the team's depth, whether he continues to put up good-enough production or not.
While it's somewhat risky to lock him up for six years, by the time the Bolts get closer to the end of Gourde's new contract, they can afford to buy him out or have an easier time trading him if he's become ineffective by then.
Tavares is a different type of player than Gourde. Tavares had 74 points in 75 games this season and has been close to a point-per-game player for most of his career. He won't get $2.5 million on his next deal – that's for sure.
That said, the 34-year-old earned $11 million this season, and everyone knows he will take a significant pay cut on his next contract. But let's say the choice is between paying Tavares somewhere in the area of $8 million per year on a three-year contract versus giving him a $6-million cap hit on a five-year deal.
The extra $2 million or so they'd save per season by signing him for five years could be spent on other players to improve the Leafs' roster. And if there's a severe drop-off in play in the final one or two years, Toronto can look at buying out his contract or retaining salary in a trade at that point. The thinking is similar to defenseman Chris Tanev's contract, as The Hockey News' David Alter explored.
A five-year contract for Tavares would make him nearly 40 by the end of the deal. While there's certainly a gamble the Leafs would take by giving him that much term, all you need to do to see the value of a greybeard veteran is look at Brad Marchand and Corey Perry in the Stanley Cup final.
Obviously, a $6-million cap hit for an aging Tavares is still a lot of money, but the rising cap ceiling means the Leafs will have a lot of cap space to play with while keeping an effective center in the top six.
As for the player, Tavares gets the security every NHLer wants, particularly at the end of their playing career. He then gives Toronto the cost certainty the team wants.
In any contract negotiation, you must give a little to get a little. And by trading contract length for cap hit with Tavares, the Leafs would be doing some savvy financial business.
