TSN: Darren Dreger and Ray Ferraro focus on Toronto Maple Leafs pending UFA ahead John Tavares, and what his subsequent contract may appear to be.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Dreger: “So it additionally seems to be like he has a number of good years left, proper? He’s 34, simply turned 34 not that way back. You possibly can’t insult him with a suggestion, however you additionally acknowledge you’ll be able to’t pay him wherever close to $11 million.
So what’s honest, primarily based on every little thing that about John Tavares proper now. What do you assume is a good, non-insulting contract time period, cash for Tavares?”
Ferraro: “Nicely, if, since I’m the GM.”
Dreger: “Sure you might be.”
Ferraro: “I say, nicely, we’re not going to speak till June, as a result of we don’t should. What if, like, and there’s zero indication of this, what if John scores three objectives within the second half of the 12 months. Like at at age you begin to, I might begin to consider it.”
Dreger: “Okay.”
Ferraro: “And I suppose, I, there’s a pair issues at play right here. One is, he’s not a free agent, per se, as a result of they’re already paying him $11 million a 12 months. It’s not like they’ve to search out cash to pay him. They’re really going to economize on the cap by no matter they’re going to pay him. So I feel that’s.
I feel that’s one willpower that will get, , that will get missed this, I hear numerous ‘Oh yeah, however they’re gonna should, they’re gonna have to search out this cash on the cap.’ No they’ve already accounted for it. It’s whether or not it’s gonna be $6 million or $8 million, or no matter it’s gonna be.
Second half is, I feel I might go to him and say, ‘John, you’ll by no means play a sport for anyone else, however I can solely offer you a two 12 months contract.’ And that my, my hope is that I’ve constructed up sufficient belief that I may give him an instance just like the late Tim Wakefield that performed with the Boston Purple Sox. He signed, I feel, 12 straight one-year contracts, and he mentioned, they usually informed him, you’re by no means going to pitch wherever else.
And so if I’m giving John $8 million for 2 years, I’m a hell of much more comfy than 8 million for 4.”
Dreger: “Okay.”
Ferraro: “And, and, however the factor is, in two years, he’s coming. I might need to construct a top level view. We predict you’ve received X variety of years left on the degree that you just’re at. And I can, I will pay you for 2 years proper now. If you’d like 4, I can’t go 4.”
Dreger: “Yeah, and you need to have the combo, proper? So, , Marner can also be an unrestricted free agent. So , if you may get these two guys in and round 21 mill. I imply, relying on the time period of the Tavares.”
Ferraro: “However, however yeah, the time period, actually, it’s not the {dollars} that basically concern me, as a result of I feel most often, the participant and the crew would come, like Tavares and the Leafs would come to an understanding of what that greenback determine would appear to be. I feel that’s I feel they’ll get to that.
And I feel most often, groups can get to the cash. It’s the time period that, and you may’t, you’ll be able to’t bypass that and say, oh, yeah, I’m not going to fret about, everybody says the final 12 months of the contract. What if it’s the final three years of the contract.”
Dreger: “Agreed. Yeah.”
Ferraro: “Like, what when you’re caught with an albatross and it’s, once more, it’s not particular to John, it’s particular to anyone that’s 35, 36, 37. The sport’s not getting slower.”
Dreger: “Yeah.”
Ferraro: “The one, one factor I’ll say about John, I’ve been tremendous impressed this 12 months concerning the, the consistency of his sport. Like he appears to be getting across the ice somewhat extra freely.”
Dreger: “He does.”
Ferraro: “And that’s, that’s the entire a part of my concern. It’s by no means his dedication. It’s by no means his capacity to shoot the puck or to need to rating. It’s by no means that. To me it’s as he will get older, is he going to have the ability to transfer across the ice. And proper now, rattling, it seems to be like he can. And he’s had an excellent, he’s had an excellent 12 months.”
