HIGHLIGHTS
- John Tavares is returning to the Leafs
- Tavares has signed a 4-year extension
- See the full details below
John Tavares isn’t going anywhere.
The veteran has taken a serious hometown discount to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, signing a four-year contract extension worth $4.38 million per season. Tavares announced the news himself on Friday:
“Coming to Toronto 7 years ago has been better than I ever anticipated. The challenge of helping bring the Cup back to the many generations of Leafs Fans and Leafs Nation is an incredible opportunity that pushes myself and my teammates everyday. TO is an incredible place to play and it’s an honour to pull on the Maple Leaf and wear the blue and white,” he wrote on social media.
“I’m thrilled to announce that I’m committed to four more years! My family and I are excited to continue our journey here in Toronto. The best is yet to come! Go Leafs Go!”
Here’s a deeper dive into the numbers, via Pierre LeBrun:
Tavares expressed his interest in reuniting with the Maple Leafs following the team’s brutal playoff exit against the Florida Panthers. While he could’ve definitely made more money elsewhere when it comes to AAV, Tavares is clearly looking to finish his career with this organization.
The 34-year-old had an impressive 2024-25 campaign, scoring 38 goals and supplying 36 assists in 75 contests. He also contributed seven points in the postseason for the Maple Leafs. Tavares came over to Toronto in 2018 after a long tenure with the New York Islanders, and he’s been a consistent contributor ever since.
The Leafs are expected to lose Mitch Marner in free agency, so it became even more important to bring back Tavares, who is a key piece of this core alongside Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Reilly.
It will be interesting to see what moves Toronto makes in the open market.
