Maple Leafs' John Tavares has advice for teammates negotiating contracts
Talking about your teammates’ contract negotiations can be a tricky subject to navigate. As we learned with the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line and Le’Veon Bell, sometimes it is best to not be so opinionated when talking about someone else’s money.
When he was asked about the advice he would give his new teammates Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander about their current situations, Toronto’s John Tavares didn’t get into specifics about figures or holdouts. He simply offered some positive words of wisdom based on the process he went through to sign his seven-year deal with the Maple Leafs on July 1.
“Just keep your energy and focus on the ice, just don’t change who you are,” the Leafs’ assistant captain told NHL.com. “I think just keep your focus on doing what you do every day and knowing you’re very fortunate to play in the NHL and have this opportunity.
“Don’t take it for granted, that’s just the way I’ve always approached it, and I certainly sense that among the guys in this group.”
The former New York Islanders captain was also asked more specifically about Nylander’s current holdout from the team. And for what it’s worth, Tavares thinks that the missing member of the Buds will reach an agreement prior to Dec. 1, the last day he can sign or else he won’t be able to play in the NHL this season.
“It’s a negotiation, and things take their own time, their own process, and sometimes there’s some tough moments through it,” Tavares noted about Nylander. “I think at the end of the day, things will get resolved, and I’m looking forward to hopefully having Willy here as soon as he can.”
Obviously, the subtraction of Nylander from the lineup is not ideal; however, it’s not like this squad lacks offensive talent. There are some that may read too much into the fact that Toronto needed overtime to knock off the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in its season opener. If you’re part of that group, please cut it out.
The Canadiens looked much better than anticipated and offensive chemistry amongst the Maple Leafs is still brewing. At the end of the day, Toronto found a way to win and will get to trot out arguably the best group of centres in the National Hockey League for the rest of the season.
Does Nylander make this a better hockey team? Totally.
But is it devastating if he decides to hold out in the interim while deciding what is best for his future? No.
With the 2018-19 Maple Leafs as loaded with offensive talent as they are, this doesn’t have nearly as great of an impact as it would have in other years.
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