Maple Leafs, Tavares agree to 4-year contract with $4.38M AAV
The Toronto Maple Leafs and veteran center John Tavares agreed to a four-year contract Friday with an annual average value of $4.38 million.
Taveres is set to turn 35 in September. His deal includes a no-movement clause for two seasons before converting to a five-team trade list, reports The Athletic's Chris Johnston.
Tavares' new cap hit is well below market value. He made $11 million per season after signing with the Maple Leafs in 2018, and general manager Brad Treliving credited the former captain for prioritizing the team on his new deal.
"No doubt my mind, there was more money for John outside of Toronto," Treliving said, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "His commitment was to find a way to make it work for him in Toronto."
Tavares initially signed with his hometown club after a nine-year run with the New York Islanders, who drafted him first overall in 2009.
"Coming to Toronto seven years ago has been better than I ever anticipated," Tavares wrote on Instagram.
"The challenge of helping bring the Cup back to the many generations of Leafs fans and Leafs Nation is an incredible opportunity that pushes myself and my teammates everyday. T.O. is an incredible place to play, and it's an honor to pull on the Maple Leaf and wear the blue and white. I'm thrilled to announce that I'm committed to four more years! My family and I are excited to continue our journey here in Toronto. The best is yet to come!"
Tavares recorded 38 goals and 36 assists for the Maple Leafs this past season. He's tallied 222 goals and 271 assists with a plus-21 mark in 515 games over seven seasons in Toronto.
He was an unrestricted free agent after his seven-year, $77-million contract expired following the 2024-25 campaign.