When John Tavares signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2018, a lot of people projected that his later years would be difficult. We may be in that discussion phase right now. Although Tavares has scored a lot of goals at every level, his nine-game scoring drought feels particularly long. With 25 points from his first 25 games of the season, Tavares is a player that scores points per game.
Tavares has scored 10 points in 22 games since then, including eight straight without a point. A cursory examination suggests that might be worse.
Though Tavares’ nine points in 12 games wouldn’t raise any red flags on its own, it appears that the season that began with him being hailed as a superstar who might never fade is starting to show signs of decline. Let’s examine Tavare’s recent setbacks, the impact his play has had on the squad, and his strategy for emerging from current rut.
Assessment of the Drought
Beginning on January 9, 2024, against the San Jose Sharks, Tavares’ eight-game pointless skid continued until January 24, 2024, against the Winnipeg Jets. The club finished 4-4-1 with 29 goals scored and 28 goals allowed in the eight games. Tavares may have been useful in several of these games, particularly the ones against the Vancouver Canucks on January 20 and the Colorado Avalanche on January 13, where the final score of both games was more than eight goals. When analyzing Tavares’ statistics over the eight-game slump, his play has also had better moments.
In the eight games that he participated in, Tavares finished with a minus-6 overall, two penalty minutes, thirty shots, and a 0.0 percent shooting percentage. He also played 177 shifts and 162:01 minutes of ice time during that period. Tavares is a leader at heart, and his teammates are aware of this despite his personal troubles and are doing everything in their power to support him.
A lot of its BS…He hasn’t slowed down one bit. We all know that in here. I’ve gone through that, too. A lot of people try to convince you of that. But just stick to your guns and stick to what’s gotten you in the league and kept you in the league this long.
Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano said of Tavares via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, prior to Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
It’s crucial to remember that this season, Tavares’ outstanding point run has garnered the most attention. But the team’s play during this run has affected both victories and defeats. Even though Tavares’ power play goal against the Sharks on January 27 snapped the run, there are a few statistics to take into account when assessing Tavares’ overall season performance. After the All-Star break, these stats might have an effect on him and the team.
Tavares’ Seasonal Play
In terms of scoring, Tavares is currently on track to have the fewest points per game of his Leaf career this season. It will probably be his lowest goal in a Leafs game as well. It’s critical to keep in mind that he is subject to a $11 million wage ceiling. Even though a second-line center with 62 points would be the envy of most teams, his play could potentially improve as his useless streak comes to an end. Even if 60+ points in year six of his contract sounded realistic when it was inked, it’s still a substantial amount, and his money carries a lot of weight. Beyond his production and cap space, he has a significant impact on the game.
Despite having minimal barriers in his way, his lifetime average of 12.8% is much higher than his current shooting percentage of 7.1%.
Concerns about Tavares’ performance this season can exist. Twelve of his 22 assists are secondary in nature. Compared to the previous season, when he had a ratio of 27 first assists to 17 secondary assists, this is a notable rise. In the 2021–22 season, he had 21 first assists to 28 secondary assists, making it the only other season in which he had more secondary assists than first assists. Despite the fact that he may not create chances as frequently as he usually does, he always looks for effective opportunities and is tied for 16th in the league in tip-in goals.
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