"Don't think it's coming sooner rather than later" - Insider provides John Tavares contract update

John Tavares' contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs is ending this season. At 34, he’s still playing well, with nine goals and 16 points. His leadership and professionalism are valuable to the Leafs, even after Auston Matthews took over as captain.

Losing the captaincy might have affected other players, but Tavares has stayed focused. Both he and the Leafs reportedly want him to stay in Toronto, though no new deal has been announced yet.

NHL insiders, including Mike Johnson, have explained why contract talks with Tavares may be moving slowly as free agency approaches. Recently, Johnson mentioned on Sportscentre with Jay Onrait that there's no urgency for the Leafs to re-sign Tavares.

"I don't think it's coming sooner rather than later Jay, because there's no need. The Leafs know John Tavares wants to stay in Toronto. They aren't going to trade him, so you have the end of the year, there's no rush here," Johnson said (Timestamp - 4:04).

John Tavares has shown he wants to stay, and Toronto are also interested in keeping him. Because both sides are on the same page, Johnson believes a new contract can wait until the end of the season. He expects a new deal could be around three years at $5 to $6 million per year, which he thinks is fair for a player still performing well late in his career.

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Strategically, John Tavares’ value to the Leafs goes beyond his current stats

Mike Johnson also considers John Tavares as Toronto’s best choice for a second-line center and a potential third-line option as younger players, like Fraser Minten, develop. With the NHL salary cap likely to increase in the coming years, having Tavares as a third-line center at around $5 million could be great value for the Leafs.

"So far, he's still by far Toronto's best option to be the second line Center. If they ever can get whether it's Fraser Minton or someone else to take that second line spot, how good would he be in the third line role. And in three years when the Cap's $100 million or something close to it, having a third line Center that gets 50 points it makes $5 million will not be too onerous. So 3 years, $5.25 million I like it," Johnson said (Timestamp - 4:42).

Toronto’s other financial priorities might also be slowing down a new deal for John Tavares. The Leafs have challenging salary cap decisions and other possible renewals, so signing Tavares now isn’t urgent, even if it feels likely. His current $11 million salary is expected to decrease in his next contract.