NHL Free Agency: Maple Leafs' Lowball Offer to John Tavares Revealed

John Tavares is not happy with the Maple Leafs current offer on an extension

Pending free agent, and Toronto-born John Tavares doesn't want to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he has made that clear. Going into the season, it was thought that he'd be ready to take a huge pay cut from the expiring $11 million AAV he's made over the last seven years with his hometown team.

But a 38-goal season, perhaps, changes things. Even at 34 years old, the former Leafs captain can still put the biscuit in the basket, and his 38 goals and 74 points prove it. We're learning on Saturday that while Tavares does want to stay, the two sides "aren't close" on an extension, per Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic. He says the two sides "still haven't found their sweet spot" on the numbers & term on a new deal.

Fellow insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has added even more context for us Saturday afternoon, saying he's heard that the Leafs offer is currently far too low for the Tavares camp:

It sounds like the Leafs have pitched a three-year deal worth less than $4 million per season. That won't get it done.

Considering that the Dallas Stars just re-signed pending UFA Matt Duchene to a four-year, $4.5 million AAV extension, you'd have to think that's the baseline for any Tavares deal. It's a good comp, for sure. Duchene is also 34, and has put up pretty similar numbers to JT over the past four seasons.

There's just 10 days to go now before Tavares would become an unrestricted free agent, and who knows what kind of offers would be put in front of him at that point. As LeBrun notes, "The stakes are high here... (The Leafs) can ill-afford to lose a second-line center who just scored 38 goals."

LeBrun even reported earlier this month that "it seems like a stretch" to expect Tavares to take such a haircut.

This will be an intriguing one to watch.