You can remove one big name off the list of prominent NHL players set to hit the open market July 1. John Tavares decided to forego the massive riches he could’ve expected when the free-agent frenzy begins next week, and re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs with a serious hometown discount.
Tavares left quite a few bucks on the table, agreeing to a four-year, $17.52 million contract Friday. That’s certainly not chump change, but his annual salary of $4.38 million falls considerably short of the $8 million AAV it’s believed he could’ve landed from another team. It’s also a far cry from the $11 million AAV in his previous deal.
Of course, it’s that just-completed contract which made it possible for Tavares to stay with his favorite childhood team. The 34-year-old center famously signed a whopping seven-year, $77 million contract with the Maple Leafs in 2018, leaving the New York Islanders — who made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft — high and dry.
Having already banked serious coin, Tavares was in a position to put his money where his mouth is, as they say. He was outspoken about wanting to stay with the Maple Leafs. And he just proved how much he was willing to give up in order to remain in Toronto.
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The Maple Leafs have approximately $21.3 million remaining in salary cap space and are not expected to re-sign the League’s top free agent, forward Mitchell Marner. So, some of that money will be used to replace Marner and his production — he had 102 points this past season — in the lineup. But it also won’t cost the $12-14 million AAV that Marner reportedly is seeking either.
Tavares, who was replaced as Maple Leafs captain by Auston Matthews a year ago, scored 38 goals this past season, 12th most in the NHL and tied for second most in his career. He has 1,114 points (494 goals, 620 assists) in 1,184 games with the Maple Leafs and Islanders.
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John Tavares among notable players signed before start of NHL free agency
Tavares is the biggest star that’s signed a deal before the free-agency period gets underway July 1. Probably the next biggest name to come off that free-agent list is Jonathan Toews. The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets after the 37-year-old missed the past two seasons due to chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS).
On the same day Tavares signed with the Maple Leafs, Sam Bennett agreed to terms on an eight-year, $64 million contract to stay with the Florida Panthers, meaning the top two free-agent centers are off the board. The 29-year-old won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past spring and wanted badly to remain with the Panthers after winning consecutive championships.
The Dallas Stars took care of business with a pair of veteran free-agent forwards. They re-signed captain Jamie Benn to a one-year contract and leading scorer Matt Duchene to a four-year, $18 million deal. The Colorado Avalanche kept center Brock Nelson from hitting the open market by agreeing to a three-year, $22.5 million contract.
There are several reports stating that the Florida Panthers have an agreement in place with free-agent center Sam Bennett, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner. The Panthers have two other key pending UFAs from their championship roster: forward Brad Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
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