Looking at the Legacy of John Tavares in Toronto Maple Leafs history

The Toronto Maple Leafs are starting to remind me of Britney Spears. Because, “Oops, they did it again.” The Leafs lost game seven of their second-round series with the Florida Panthers. A disappointing end to another season.

However, it’s not just the end of the season. It’s possibly the end of an era for the Leafs, with John Tavares and Mitch Marner both becoming unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and discuss the most memorable Leafs signing in recent years. The man who would eventually become captain, John Tavares.

The hometown hero

On July 1, 2018, the Leafs signed Tavares to a seven-year contract worth $11M a year. Fans were ecstatic! He was the chosen one. Tavares was going to lead the Leafs to enormous success alongside their young, blossoming stars.

In the 2018–19 season, Tavares had 88 points, which was good enough for second on the team, only behind Mitch Marner with 94. Tavares led the team in goals with 47.

That year, the Leafs went 46–28–8, finishing second in the Atlantic Division. This set them up for a rematch with the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. The Leafs lost in seven games for the second straight year, once again losing game seven on the road in Boston.

On October 2, 2019, Tavares was named the 25th captain in Leafs history. The first captain since Dion Phaneuf in 2015–16.

In 2019–20, he looked a little different. Tavares finished with 60 points in just 63 games. The NHL was temporarily paused in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the season being cut short, the NHL implemented a best-of-five qualifying round to make up for it. The Leafs found themselves playing against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Leafs would lose in five games. After their memorable 3–0 comeback in the final minutes of Game 4, they got shut out in Game 5.

A horrible injury

The unique circumstances continued in the 2021 season. Once again, the season was shortened to 56 games. Also, due to the border policies at the time, the NHL had an all-Canadian division, which the Leafs dominated. They went 35–14–7 and finished as the number one seed.

This was their best chance at a deep playoff run because you only played teams in your division through the first two rounds.

However, Tavares played in less than a game in the playoffs that season after suffering a horrific injury in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Leafs once again lost in seven games after blowing a 3–1 series lead and losing two of those games at home.

Back from injury

For the 2021–22 season, everything was back to normal. The core four of Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander continued to shine, which is precisely what general manager Kyle Dubas envisioned when he signed Tavares.

The Leafs finished with a record of 54–21–7, which was good enough for second place in the Atlantic. This earned them home ice advantage in the first round against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Leafs went on to lose in seven games AGAIN. At this point, the last time the Leafs won a playoff series, Tavares was 13 years old.

Finally a win

In 2022–23, the Leafs got a rematch with Tampa Bay after finishing second in the Atlantic with a 50–21–11 record.

This time around, the Leafs won the series in six games. They won in overtime on the road in game 6, with the game-winning goal coming from Tavares himself.

The Leafs would meet the Florida Panthers in the second round. They’d win Game 1, then lose the next four to lose the series in five games.

Dubas likely imagined the Leafs winning the Stanley Cup within the first five years of Tavares’s contract. However, things didn’t go as planned, and the Leafs only had one series win to show for it.

In 2023–24, the Leafs went 46–26–10, finishing third in the Atlantic Division. This set them up for a first-round series with the Bruins again. The Leafs lost in Game 7 in heartbreaking fashion, off of an overtime winner from Boston’s David Pasternak.

At this point, the Leafs are 0–4 in Game 7s in the Tavares era, scoring no more than one goal in any of them.

New coach, new team?

This year, things felt different. The Leafs fired Sheldon Keefe and replaced him with Craig Berube. The Leafs had the best team they’ve had in a long time, winning the Atlantic Division.

Tavares’ point total decreased compared to previous seasons, but that’s understandable. He’s now 34 years old and entering the final year of his $11M AAV contract.

Aside from the playoff failures, Tavares has helped the other members of the core four turn into superstars.

Even though Matthews is now the captain, Tavares’ veteran presence was very pivotal this season.

But, the Leafs lost in Round 2 again, once again losing in Game 7.

Time for a fresh start

Since the 2004–05 lockout, the Buffalo Sabres have won more playoff series than the Leafs, despite not making a playoff appearance since 2011.

Now, it seems that the Leafs’ championship window is closed. Since 2018, the Leafs have been 0–7 in winner-take-all games.

Fans are curious about Tavares’ next move. He turns 35 in September, and if he were to re-sign, it’d likely be for a hometown discount.