In a current episode of the Kyper and Bourne podcast that includes Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee, a wild concept emerged relating to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ resolution to ask John Tavares to relinquish his captaincy. Kypreos recommended that the group might need hoped Tavares can be so insulted by the request that he would request a commerce. The end result would have been permission to hunt a deal to ship out a participant who has a full no-move and the Leafs might have dumped his $11 million bloated contract.
Whereas this concept could sound far-fetched, it does increase questions concerning the lengths a crew may go to in pursuit of a cap-friendly roster and what it means for Tavares’ future in Toronto.
Is Kypreos Attempting to Stir Up Drama Surrounding Maple Leafs and Tavares?
Kypreos didn’t come proper out and say the Maple Leafs did this in an try to get Tavares to decide out. However, he actually teased it and in Toronto, the place nearly each little story blows up right into a dramatic over-exaggeration, semantics doesn’t matter. As a veteran sports activities commentator, Kypreos is aware of that tossing out this concept will fire up feelings among the many fan base.
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The mere suggestion that different NHL gamers have been asking why Tavares would have been open to giving up the ‘C’ so simply whereas they might have demanded out within the face of such an insulting request hints at one in every of two issues: Tavares needs to remain so badly he’s keen to be insulted, or he noticed proper by way of what the Leafs have been making an attempt to do and didn’t chunk.
Kypreos recommended that Tavares took the excessive street however acknowledged that not all gamers would react equally. This assertion opens the door to a weird notion: Did the Leafs genuinely think about that Tavares can be provoked sufficient to ask for a commerce?
Have been the Maple Leafs Attempting to Get Cap Reduction?
“If it might assist alleviate the cap,” Kypreos remarked, “the Leafs have been ready to listen to that from him.” This results in an intriguing query: Would the Maple Leafs really stoop that low?
The concept an expert sports activities group would deliberately try to agitate one in every of its star gamers will not be solely insulting to the membership but in addition counterproductive. Tavares is not only any participant. Despite the fact that he’s going to must take a pay minimize to remain past this season, he’s a frontrunner on and off the ice and has been a cornerstone of the franchise for years. To consider that the Leafs would have interaction in a technique to “push him out” feels extra like a conspiracy concept than a believable state of affairs.
Bourne mentioned that if the Maple Leafs really did this, Tavares seemingly learn between the traces and gave up the captaincy as a result of he didn’t wish to give them any purpose to contemplate buying and selling him. Bourne famous, “He in all probability performed that film out in his thoughts and doubtless noticed how rapidly it will have gone from ‘You don’t suppose I can depart, then ship me outta right here!’. and the subsequent day he would have been in Columbus or one thing.”
Each hosts appeared to consider this might need been a factor that really occurred.
What Actually Probably Occurred Between Tavares and the Maple Leafs
As “enjoyable” (not likely) as this concept is likely to be, it’s in all probability extraordinarily removed from the reality about what went on behind the scenes. The Maple Leafs seemingly needed to present Auston Matthews the captaincy and Tavares is aware of that that is the pure development of issues. Whether or not it was this season or subsequent, Matthews is the brand new face of the crew and voice for the group. Willingly handing off the letter units a greater tone for the season and it’s the type of particular person Tavares is — a frontrunner.
We could by no means be taught what was mentioned or what the crew’s true intentions have been. With that in thoughts, the crew and Tavares seemingly had a dialog and Tavares had no challenge with it. Whereas being accommodating seemingly helps his odds of getting re-signed, the fact is, that the Leafs can select to signal or not signal Tavares, letter or not. That reality seemingly didn’t play into their dialog in any respect.
