Patrick Kane’s new deal in Chicago has put John Tavares’ contract in a sharper, and much more flattering, light for the Maple Leafs.
Kane signed a two-year, $16-million contract with the Blackhawks, an $8-million average annual value that brings him back into a central role in Chicago. With Connor Bedard currently sidelined by injury, Kane is set to be one of the main engines of the Blackhawks’ offence again, just as he was in the 2010s.
The price tag is a major jump from what he made last season. Kane earned $3 million while producing 57 points in 67 games for the Red Wings, including 16 goals and 41 assists.
Chicago is clearly paying for both insurance around Bedard and the hope that Kane can keep delivering at the level he showed over the last three seasons in Detroit, when he posted 163 points in 189 games. If that production holds, the contract looks justified.
If it doesn’t, the overpayment conversation will start quickly.
That’s where Toronto comes in.
Tavares, 35, signed his extension with the Maple Leafs last summer at a far lower number: $4.389 million per year through 2029, when he’ll be 38. He put up 71 points in 82 games last season and chose long-term security with Toronto over chasing a bigger payday in free agency.
Over the same three-season stretch that Kane has used to build his case, Tavares has actually outproduced him, with 210 points in 237 games. He’s also remained elite in the faceoff circle, winning 58.4 percent over that span, and he does it at a premium position. That combination makes Toronto’s deal look even stronger in light of Kane’s new contract.
The cap keeps climbing, and veterans with playoff experience and leadership qualities are getting paid. Tavares had every chance to cash in, but he took a different route. That makes it on Toronto to make the most of the bargain it got.
The Leafs can’t afford to waste these years of Tavares if he’s still producing at this level. This is likely one of the final contracts of his career, and he already gave the club a significant discount. The best way to repay that is with winning.
That matters with Auston Matthews, but it matters with Tavares too - the former captain and a lifelong Maple Leafs fan. He’s also deeply tied to the Toronto community, and after all he’s given the organization and the city, the least the team can do is put a competitive roster around him.
If Tavares keeps producing at this pace while making nearly half of what Kane now earns, Toronto is sitting on a real bargain. The challenge now is turning that value into something bigger before the clock runs out.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Have A Veteran Winger Gamble Worth Watching
The Maple Leafs have spent the offseason adding pieces and reworking the edges of their roster, and the forward group still looks like an area where another veteran could make sense. With new faces already in the mix, Toronto has at least considered whether a low-risk addition might help round out the depth chart and give the coaching staff another experienced option to sort through in camp.
One name that fits that kind of conversation is a winger with a long NHL track record and a championship on his rsum, even if his recent scoring has not matched earlier peaks. The appeal for Toronto is obvious: a player like that could be worth a look on a professional tryout or a short-term deal, especially if the Leafs want more proven depth without committing much term or money. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fans Just Got A New Reason To Watch Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlssons future in Pittsburgh is already drawing attention, and for Maple Leafs fans, it comes with a familiar subplot. Josh Yohe of The Athletic laid out a scenario in which the Penguins could become sellers if they are not in the mix by midseason, with Karlsson emerging as one of the biggest names to watch. If Pittsburgh stays competitive, the club could simply ride out the season with him and then decide not to bring him back, a possibility that reflects both his age and the size of the contract still attached to him.
For Toronto, the intrigue is obvious because the Leafs have been linked in speculation around high-end blue-line help before, and Karlssons name naturally fits that conversation. Ottawa has also surfaced as another possible landing spot, which only adds to the sense that this could become one of the more closely watched storylines if the Penguins season goes sideways. For now, it is just a watch item, but one that could get louder quickly depending on how Pittsburgh looks as the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Just Hit A Familiar Wall In Fantilli Pursuit
Adam Fantillis name has been circling the Maple Leafs for a while now, and the appeal is obvious. The 21-year-old has put together a strong recent stretch, he remains unsigned, and he fits the kind of talent Toronto would love to add if the opportunity ever lined up. The problem is that this is exactly the sort of move that sounds cleaner on paper than it does in the cap era, especially when offer-sheet rules and draft-pick compensation enter the picture.
Toronto is already operating well above the cap, and making a real run at Fantilli would require more than just interest. The Leafs would need to create major room, then sort out the draft-pick side of the equation before they could even think about putting a competitive number on the table. In practical terms, that means moving money out and rebuilding the kind of flexibility that has been hard for this front office to find, which is why the pursuit feels more like a familiar frustration than a realistic path right now. [Read more 🡒]