John Tavares said he didn't want to leave Toronto. And that wasn't lip service.
The Maple Leafs announced a four-year contract extension for Tavares on Friday, carrying an AAV of $4.38 million. Tavares was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 but opted out of exploring his options by taking less to stick with the Leafs.
"Obviously left some money out there," Tavares admitted on a media conference call Friday. "But I've done pretty well. I'm still doing pretty well. And I get to play for an amazing club in a great city, the place where I'm from, and for a team that's got a real opportunity to win. It's a real strong hockey team and there's a tremendous amount of belief."
The center is coming off one of his most productive regular seasons, collecting 38 goals and 74 points in 75 games. It was the second time in three years Tavares had eclipsed the 30-goal mark, while carrying over 18 minutes TOI per game and contributing to the top power-play unit. He is also just six goals away from 500 in his career, a mark achieved by only 48 NHL players to date. That consistent success is no accident, either. Tavares' dedication to improvement -- whether through on-ice work or off-ice recovery -- has allowed him to remain an upper-echelon player worth investing in -- by the only team he cared to suit up for.
"It never really got to the point where I had to really look at other [choices] and consider it," Tavares said. "I look over the last few years and my belief is I can continue to play at a very high level, to play elite hockey and be a difference-maker and contribute to a lot of areas. I felt like my fit and obviously the comfort playing here for so long and where I'm at in my role and with the team, it just made so much sense and was the best fit."
Tavares, 34, originally signed with the Leafs as a free agent on July 1, 2018. He captained the team from 2019 to 2024 before ceding the role to Auston Matthews. That's another example of Tavares' willingness to maintain his relationship with Toronto, which also extends to family life.
A native of the Toronto area, Tavares has put down roots with his three kids over the past several years and security ultimately outweighed any other factors.
"We would all agree there is going to be an opportunity for John to make a lot more money elsewhere," GM Brad Treliving said. "And [Tavares'] focus was staying here and so his work and his commitment and his desire, it sort of steered the process on this negotiation."
Treliving noted that given Tavares' age, the four-year pact that has just dried could appear too long. It was a risk the Leafs were willing to take.
"We all expect aging curves to kick in at some point," Treliving said. "John's been able to defy it, and it's a credit to the way he looks after himself, the commitment he has to his craft, his body. His preparation is second to none. So we expect John to be a really good player moving forward."
Keeping Tavares in the fold was a key item on the Leafs' offseason to-do list. Toronto is unlikely to re-sign pending UFA Mitch Marner to a contract extension, which will impact its top-six forward depth. Retaining Tavares as the team's No. 2 center behind Matthews will help stabilize the Leafs up front.
That's critical if Toronto expects to make another run at the postseason this year. The Leafs have qualified for the playoffs in every full season since Tavares arrived but have advanced past the first round only twice. This year they got further than ever, falling in Game 7 of a second-round series against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
It was another heartbreaking finish for Tavares and the Leafs. And while they haven't made that elusive breakthrough yet back to a championship stage -- and the disappointment continues to take a toll -- Tavares is convinced the Leafs can get there.
"It only gets harder," he said of falling short in the playoffs. "I think because my runway gets shorter and shorter. My belief in my ability is stronger than ever, but I'm clearly not on the front nine [of my career], but the back nine, and I am aware and realistic of that. The opportunities get fewer and fewer for a player that's in my situation. It only gets more difficult as every opportunity passes and you're not the last one standing."
Tavares credited first-year head coach Craig Berube with establishing a new mentality for the club that served them well last season and provides a foundation to build on moving forward. The "different philosophy" suggests Toronto can head in a new direction that will, in theory, produce fresh results.
Only time will tell if Tavares was right to put his faith in the Leafs' potential.
"There are really good signs for our team, our club," Tavares said. "All our guys, just talking to a number of them since the end of the season, [there's a sense of] just how badly we want to find our way and do something special here in Toronto that hasn't been done here in a long time."