John Tavares is entering a new role with the Toronto Maple Leafs but it’s clear that he’s solely focused on bringing an elusive Stanley Cup to his hometown.
Tavares spoke to reporters during Toronto’s media day at the Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday, where he provided an opening statement, before taking questions.
“From a personal standpoint, it’s been a very good offseason,” Tavares said. “I’m as driven as I’ve ever been throughout the course of my career.”
Tavares handed off the captaincy to Auston Matthews in August and offered his full support during the ceremony, which operated as a family affair. It will be a new role for Tavares, as he’s assumed formal leadership throughout every stage of his professional career. He will be counted upon for his leadership once again, but he may be freed from the attendant responsibilities that come with being the most accountable player on a title-starved Original Six team.
Tavares, like Mitch Marner, did not want to expand on questions regarding his contract status, while reiterating that he wants to remain with the Maple Leafs long-term. The 34-year-old is playing on the final year of his seven-year pact he inked with the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2018. Tavares also came to Marner’s defence, after Toronto’s winger faced unwavering criticism throughout the offseason.
“I think he’s handled it really well. I think he’s had a great summer. I know how focused he’s been, on working on his game and improving and getting better for the season. He’s going to help us win and be a big part of that.”
Tavares recorded 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games last season, which are still stellar numbers but it marks a relative decline from his borderline Hall-of-Fame production one has come to expect. He’s still an elite faceoff man, winning 59.3 percent of his draws last season, while creating rebounds at a tremendous rate that should unlock some instant offence. And if Tavares is deployed against weaker competition, he should absolutely feast.
It was promised as a summer of change for the Maple Leafs, but Tavares’ leadership and scoring touch are hallmarks of this era. It’ll be compelling to see how Tavares responds to the widespread opinion that he’s entering a stage of age-related decline and how that manifests itself on the ice.
