Tavares signs 4-year, $17.52 million contract to remain with Maple Leafs

TORONTO -- John Tavares wanted to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was willing to take less money to ensure it happened.

The 34-year-old forward signed a four-year, $17.52 million contract on Friday. It has an average annual value of $4.38 million.

Taveres could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He had 74 points (38 goals, 36 assists) in 75 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs this season and seven points (five goals, two assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games. His 38 goals also tied the second-most he's scored in his 16 NHL seasons.

"Even though I left some money out there, I've done pretty well and am still doing pretty well and get to play for an amazing club in a great city, a place where I'm from and a team that has a real opportunity to win," Tavares said.

Despite his strong season, testing the free agent market to maximize his value was not his focus.

"Not really," Tavares said. "I've stated clearly that I wanted to stay and wanted to make it work and find a way to make a deal that was very good for both sides. … I felt like the fit and obviously the comfort of playing here for so long and with where I am at in my role and with the team, it made so much sense and was the best fit.

"It never really got to the point where I had to look at other options or consider it. Obviously, you are aware when you get to within a week (of free agency), but the dialogue had been really good and I felt strongly with the communication from the club side of it that they really wanted me back and to continue on in helping this team and being a big part of us breaking through."

In seven seasons since signing a $77 million contract ($11 million AAV) with the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2018, Tavares has 493 points (222 goals, 271 assists) in 515 regular-season games and 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 51 playoff games.

"It's a really good day, and I want to give a lot of credit first and foremost to John," Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said. "We talked at the end of the year about John's want and desire to be here and to win here and I think his commitment was illustrated by what he did here. We would all agree there would be an opportunity for John to make a lot more money elsewhere and his focus was staying here. His work and his commitment and his desire steered the process on this negotiation.

"We get to Tuesday, no doubt in my mind there was more money for John outside of Toronto. His commitment was to find a way to make it work for him in Toronto."

Tavares played primarily as Toronto's second-line center this season and was a fixture in front of the net on its top power-play unit. The reduction in salary allows for the ability to move Tavares down the lineup should an opportunity arise to upgrade at center over the course of his new contract, though Treliving said it is too early to say what role he would expect Tavares to play next season.

Whatever that role is though, Tavares will be happy to fill it. He made that clear with his commitment to signing a team-friendly contract to help the team continue to be competitive and contend for the Stanley Cup, which the Maple Leafs have not won since 1967.

"It only gets harder because my runway gets shorter and shorter…" Tavares said. "I'm clearly not on the front nine but the back nine and I am aware and realistic of that, so the opportunities get fewer and fewer for a player in my situation. It only gets more and more difficult as every opportunity passes and you are not the last one standing.

"Talking to a number of the guys since the end of the season, it's just how badly we want to find our way and doing something special here in Toronto that hasn't been done in a long time."

Selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 1 pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares has 1,114 points (494 goals, 620 assists) in 1,184 regular-season games for the Islanders and Maple Leafs. He is a 15-time 20-goal scorer and ranks fifth in goals and eighth in points among active skaters.

He has 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) in 75 playoff games.

Tavares, who will turn 35 on Sept. 20, said he is confident he will be able to keep his game at a high level throughout the contract.

"I take a lot of pride in how I try to get better, how I approach the game and my craft and my passion and love for it," he said. "I have a tremendous amount of belief in who I am and what I can do and just continue to play at an elite level."

So, too, does Treliving.

"There are some guys that can play well into their mid to late 30s and I don't necessarily think when you get to 33, 34, 35 years old that all of a sudden, your career is over," he said. "It comes with a little bit of genetics but there's a lot of work that goes into it and I don't know if there is a more committed athlete that I've been around in terms of his preparation and how he looks after himself. He's second to none that way."