John Tavares would 'love' to sign new Maple Leafs contract before deadline

BOSTON — The NHL trade deadline lies just 10 days away, impending free agents are getting crossed off the board, and the ambiguity around John Tavares’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs quietly drags on.

One thing is for certain, though: The stud centreman would prefer to put his signature on a contract extension in Toronto before the March 7 trade deadline and take care of business early.

“I certainly would love to get it done,” Tavares said Tuesday inside Boston’s TD Garden, prior to the Maple Leafs’ faceoff against the Bruins. “I mean, obviously the club has a lot going on. It’s not just about me.

“I know management will do what they have to do at that time of year and whatnot. So, if we have the opportunity to get it done, I’d love to do that. If not, when that time comes, we’ll get there. So, just looking forward to continuing my journey here as a Leaf — and obviously want it to continue past this season.”

Tavares — a family man with no interest in uprooting — believes he was well served by the extra days off for rest and dad time during the 4 Nations Face-Off break. At 34, he is enjoying a resurgent campaign and is on pace for 30 goals and 70 points despite missing seven games due to a leg injury and seeing more usage in the defensive zone.

And yet, the veteran finds himself in the unusual position of not being management’s top priority with roughly four months before his deal expires.

Knowing Tavares’s strong preference to stay put, and understanding the former captain holds a full no-move clause, general manager Brad Treliving’s more pressing concerns are with making moves ahead of next Friday’s trade deadline and figuring how to move ahead with or without star winger Mitch Marner.

Tavares has been willing to negotiate in-season, via agent Pat Brisson, but his file has been nudged to the backburner and there is no sense that an announcement is imminent before more dominoes fall.

Is the uncertainty stressful on Tavares?

“Not really. I just try to go about my business, control what I can control, and do what I can to help this team,” Tavares said. “I’ve had a great six-plus years here. Since Tree has come on board, and certainly with Chief [coach Craig Berube] this year, they’ve been great with me.

“Where our focus is, we’re just trying to help the team and get as many wins as we can and earn a spot in the playoffs and obviously try to make a deep run. So, when the time comes [to negotiate], be ready for that. And I think I've been around long enough, just go out there about my business and try to impact the team as best I can.”

Tavares has held up his end of the bargain. Age be damned, his performance is elevating alongside the salary cap.

Some athletes change or, worse, buckle under the weight of a contract year.

Not Tavares, his coach argues.

“Not a little bit,” Berube said. “He’s a pro. He just does his thing. It’s every day. He just comes to work. He does his routine. He’s got it down. And he’s played extremely well for us. I don’t think he thinks about it, to be honest with you. I haven't noticed any of that with him.”

The Maple Leafs have never had a better shot at clinching first place in the Atlantic Division. They’ve never faced the possibility of losing two of their Core Four forwards — Marner and Tavares — this late into one of their many contending campaigns.

Still, Tavares says the buildup to March 7 has the same energy as recent trade deadlines past in Leafland.

“Things all feel the same,” Tavares said. “We’ve been a team that’s been pushing and wanting to do something special, and we’ve had the makings of a team that’s been aggressive in trying to add.

“Whether that’s the case this year, obviously that’s not up to me. But the feelings are always the same.”

Just as Tavares's feelings about being a Maple Leaf haven’t changed — even if management isn’t rushing to lock up its second-line centre while it scours the market for another middle-six pivot.

“I mean, I love to play,” Tavares said. He is seemingly unbothered as he hangs around to chat for more than 10 minutes after a brisk morning skate. “When the time comes, it'll get taken care of. So, until then, you just go out there and play and compete.”