Where does John Tavares fit in a Craig Berube lineup?

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John Tavares was busy in Czechia representing his country when he woke up one Saturday morning to a text from Craig Berube. Berube was reaching out to introduce himself and to kick off their relationship as captain and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Berube can’t wait to get training camp started, Tavares is very excited to work with his new bench boss and now we wait to see where the chips fall after the preseason. How exactly Berube utilizes Tavares is going to be one of the more entertaining storylines of the Maple Leafs’ 2024-25 season.

For starters, will Tavares be centring the second line? The third line? Playing on the wing seems less likely at this point, especially to start next season, however, Tavares’ usage is completely tied to what Berube sees for Max Domi. If Domi is going to be used down the middle, that could certainly impact the kind of role Tavares plays.

What could wind up happening is Domi slots into the two hole, alongside William Nylander and Bobby McMann, meanwhile, Tavares suits up on the third line with Calle Jarnkrok and one of Pontus Holmberg, Easton Cowan, or Fraser Minten. A long shot at this point would to be include Nick Robertson, as he still has yet to sign a contract and doesn’t intend to.

Regardless of his wingers, Tavares is perfectly suited for a third line. He can win a key faceoff, he’s smart enough to keep himself on the right side of the puck and he’s able to anticipate what the other team is going to try and do from an offensive standpoint. Tavares thinks the game is at an elite level and he’s as professional as they come with his preparation. Convincing him he can stay in the league for another six seasons thanks to becoming a shut-down third-line centre, is a transition that could be seamless.

At 33 years old and in need of a contract after next season, if Tavares signs an extension in Toronto it’s likely going to be at a home-town discount and come with an understanding he’s headed for a shut-down role on this team.

The Oakville, ON native can be an impact player at both ends of the ice. Last season he won just under 60% of his faceoffs, he set a career high with 134 hits and also chipped in with 65 points in 80 games. Tavares loves to master his craft and evolve his game so having a new role for him entering the back nine of his career is a perfect setup.  Some would question if he has it in him to be defensively minded or if his foot speed can keep up with the game’s elite players.

The interesting part about Tavares’ foot speed is the fact he’s become a more consistently fast skater throughout the past three seasons:

Thanks to our friends at NHL Edge it’s become quite obvious Tavares has been working on his foot speed throughout the past couple of summers as he’s almost doubled the amount of speed bursts over 20 mph since 2021-22. So, to those folks who say Tavares can’t keep up anymore, you may want to reconsider.

Will Tavares kill penalties?

This answer is likely a ‘no’ to start the season but certainly something to monitor. Since Tavares signed his mega-contract with the Maple Leafs, he hasn’t killed any penalties and has been extremely offensive-focused. Tavares has produced on the score sheet since throwing on the blue and white and that’s certainly not something he can be chirped for, as he’s lived up to his mega contract.

However, heading into the 2024-25 season, since Tavares’ role is evolving, will Berube use him as a regular penalty killer? Tavares has a bit of PK experience, as the season before he left Long Island, Tavares averaged 1:33 per game shorthanded. He was playing PK2 with Cal Clutterbuck but it’s worth pointing out, that the Islanders finished dead last that season in efficiency, only killing off 73.2%.

For now, it’s likely David Kampf and Auston Matthews get the bulk of the faceoffs and assignments, however, certainly, keep your eye on Tavares and how much his role with this Maple Leafs’ team evolves.

Contract extension seems likely at this point

Tavares is entering the final season of his contract, making $11 million against the cap. General manager Brad Treliving has several Maple Leafs who are now eligible to sign extensions, however, there hasn’t been much noise about anything being close to this point.

From the outside looking in, it appears a deal will get done between the two sides as Tavares has had nothing but amazing things to say about the organization and playing for his favourite team growing up. It also feels like Tavares understands the business and where Treliving wants to take this team, and the fact Marner also needs a new deal, and the same can be said for Matthew Knies. Sure, the cap is going up, but Tavares needs to do Treliving a solid and take a discount on his next deal, and ensure Treliving can still afford to build around the team’s core.

After making $9.5 million AAV for eight years, Evgeni Malkin signed a four-year deal at $6.1 million AAV with the Pittsburgh Penguins and you can expect to see Treliving use this as a comparable in contract discussions. Ideally, Tavares accepts something that starts with a five.

Nevertheless, looking ahead to next season, Tavares is excited for the page to turn with Berube now behind the bench. There’s a newfound excitement around the Maple Leafs, despite only winning one Stanley Cup Playoff round since Tavares joined the team. 2024-25 is going to be a season of transition for Tavares as it’s likely Berube will utilize him in a more defensively-focused role. If Domi is playing centre, Tavares could be headed for the bottom six, a role he’s never started a season tasked with. But, if Domi ends up on the wing, look for Tavares to continue to be tied to Nylander’s hip and to hover around a point a game centring Toronto’s second line.

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