Leafs HC Craig Berube speaks out on John Tavares' mindset amidst contract extension uncertainty

John Tavares is a free agent at the end of this season. With the trade deadline looming, players in his situation are often the subject of rumors and speculation. That's even more true when teams don't indicate they will extend said player.

That's the situation Tavares finds himself in, but his coach gave him credit for not letting it get to him. Craig Berube said via The Hockey News on Tuesday that Tavares remains the same:

“Not a little bit. He's a pro. He just does his thing," Berube said. "It's every day. He just comes to work. He does his routine. He's got it down. And, you know, he's played extremely well for us. I don't think he thinks about it, to be honest with you. Not that I've noticed or I haven't noticed any of that with him.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a strong year, and Tavares has been a big part of that. The question remains whether or not he will be around for the last part of it. If the Leafs don't plan to re-sign him, they may be inclined to get a pick or a player in return for his services for the last couple of months of the regular season.

They could also keep him since he's been an integral part of their division-leading season, but that runs the risk of him leaving for nothing when free agency rolls around.

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John Tavares and teammate unlikely to sign extensions

The deadline to sign an extension is March 7. After that, pending free agents like John Tavares will enter free agency when the season ends. The same is true for his Toronto teammate, Mitch Marner, who is also in extension talks.

John Tavares might not sign (Imagn)

According to Yahoo Sports, NHL insider Chris Johnston doesn't envision either signing:

“As of this morning, it doesn’t sound like to me that we’re going to see a contract for any of those players by the deadline," Johnston said. "That can obviously change within 10 days of being there, a different offer or a different willingness to accept the contract on one side or the other could influence that."

He said specifically that Tavares is less likely to sign. However, this may not guarantee that either will leave next year.