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Pierre LeBrun's Expected 'Sweet Spot' for Maple Leafs-John Tavares Agreement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 8:34 AM ET

Veteran forward John Tavares made it clear at season’s end he wants to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but one week from the opening of NHL free agency, no extension has been signed.

The veteran center just completed the final season of the seven-year, $77 million contract he signed in 2018 and remains in daily discussions with Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and agent Pat Brisson.

According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, while discussions are still ongoing on a daily basis, the sides have yet to reach an agreement on term and compensation.

“I think both sides probably would have been surprised a month ago if you would have told them they still hadn’t had an extension done one week away from July 1,” Pierre LeBrun said. “But I will also say this: it’s not like they’ve hit a wall in talks. The dialogue continues almost daily.”

INSIDER TRADING - @PierreVLeBrun on the Leafs & Tavares trying to find the sweet spot in contract talks, Florida’s Big 3 UFAs: https://t.co/uAIroPSHig pic.twitter.com/DxGAqCn7YZ
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 24, 2025

Tavares is reportedly not expected to chase the highest offer available on the open market.

Daily Faceoff projects Tavares to sign a three-year, $23.7 million contract this offseason with a cap hit of $7.9 million per season.

Instead of getting there, it's believed that Tavares would be willing to take less than his true market value to stay in Toronto, where he lives year-round with his wife and children.

“I believe that if the Leafs put $20 million over four years in front of John Tavares, that he would sign it,” LeBrun said. “Neither side is there quite yet, but I think that ends up being the sweet spot if this gets done here in the next seven days.”

Comparable deals signed of late include Matt Duchene’s four-year, $4.5 million AAV contract with the Dallas Stars and Brock Nelson’s $7.5 million AAV deal over three years with the Colorado Avalanche.

LeBrun noted that Tavares, who outproduced Nelson last season, isn’t seeking top dollar but still hopes for fair value before July 1, thus the delay in an agreement with Toronto one week from the start of free agency.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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