Maple Leafs' John Tavares reveals free-agency intentions

Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares has made his intentions clear as he approaches free agency in July.

Speaking with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, Tavares expressed his desire to continue his career with the team he joined in 2018 after leaving the New York Islanders, saying that he hopes to stay in Toronto.

“I’ve said it before, I would love to stay and hope it works out,” Tavares said on Friday. “That’s my goal and my intention.”

Tavares, 34, signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with Toronto in 2018, fulfilling a childhood dream of playing for his hometown team.

Since then, he has become a staple on and off the ice for the Leafs, contributing not only with his scoring prowess but also as a veteran leader and boasting the "C" until he passed it on to fellow forward Auston Matthews ahead of this season.

Reflecting on his time in Toronto, Tavares said the experience has exceeded his expectations even though the team has not quite reached the ultimate goal of winning the championship during his time there.

“Aside from not being able to help bring a Stanley Cup here, it’s been everything I could hope for,” Tavares said. “In fact, it’s been even better than I thought, to be honest.”

This season, Tavares has been productive, ranking third on the team with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 32 games. Including those numbers, Tavares has appeared in 472 regular-season games with the Leafs scoring 450 total points split into 199 goals and 251 assists.

“His preparation is unequalled,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube said about the veteran. “He’s constantly working on his game, both in the offensive and defensive zones.”

As July's free-agency period looms, Tavares seems locked into what's next for him. Whether Toronto's brass thinks the same is still unknow, although the latest reports point toward both parties agreeing to extend their relationship.

“Winning the Cup here remains the goal,” Tavares said. “That’s never changed. It would be a dream fulfilled for a lot of us.”