Reporter reveals the expectations for John Tavares' new contract in Toronto

Six years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs landed one of their biggest free agent signings in history when Ontario born John Tavares officially inked a seven-year deal to make him the captain of the team he grew up adoring. Now, that deal has just one year remaining, with Tavares set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025, giving the Maple Leafs two huge free agency decisions to make alongside Mitch Marner.

However, in that time the team have won just one Stanley Cup Playoff series, making his next contract a tough one to gauge, especially when he'll be 34-years of age when free agency begins. Now, Jon Steitzer of The Leafs Nation has predicted Tavares' next deal, giving several intriguing comparisons.

In his piece, Steitzer reveals that while some expect the deal to come in at a similar price to Claude Giroux ($6.5 million AAV) and Anze Kopitar ($7 million AAV), but offered that if that is the case, he likely won't be with Toronto at that price. Instead, he reveals that if Tavares wants to remain a Maple Leaf, the deal would need to be closer to $4.8 million per year, which would certainly be a huge discount to stay at home.

Ultimately, it's tough to know what Tavares will consider heading into free agency, with the Leafs upcoming year potentially changing everything one way or another, so expect plenty of change heading into 2025 free agency.

Source: Maple Leafs Daily
John Tavares' new contract projection very concerning for the Maple Leafs