Will Toronto Add John Tavares or Just Let Him Go?
TSN: Hockey analyst Frankie Corrado was on SportsCenter with Jay Onrait and asked if we should discuss John Tavares’ contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
** NHLRumors.com Transcripts
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Jay Onrait: “Frankie, you talk a lot about Mitch Marner and his contract situation; we never talk about John Tavares and his contract situation, and we don’t talk about it, especially about the contract extension, and I don’t understand that. Personally, personally Frankie because I feel that all the fans have. he did not respect this player very much.
It blows my mind that he went back to his hometown. He signed the agreement. He turned down big money elsewhere. He did nothing but show up every night. Play his heart. He scored nearly 30 goals last season. And fans want him out of town after this deal is done. Now, he turns 34 at the start of next season. Am I crazy to think you wouldn’t want to maybe extend him three years? Like extend Crosby three years in Pittsburgh?
Frankie Corrado: Jay, the only difference is that the Maple Leafs didn’t win, and they doubled this core, and John Tavares is part of that core at $11 million. You are part of that core. And if you drop him down to a more manageable number in the expansion, he’s still part of a core team that hasn’t won yet.
So this is the question you have to ask yourself. You want John Tavares, you know, whatever his fair market value is after this year, is it $6 million? Like, I don’t know what that looks like, because it’s a unique situation. Yes, he is an older player, but he still scores points, but most of those points seem to be strong points. And, you know, he’s not really a play driver.
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Regardless, I think if you look at the Tampa Bay Lightning and notice that they were willing to go to Steven Stamkos, who won two Stanley Cups there, who was the captain, who did all the things that John Tavares did in Tampa Bay. He took less money to stay, unless he won twice. And they said, actually, no, we’re going to continue.
There will probably be Jay, fair market value or market value for Tavares and there should be market value for Toronto. Which should be a lot cheaper because they haven’t won with this core group of players. So to live in Toronto, it would have to be a heavy, heavy discount. If you want to make more money. There will probably be more for you.”
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