Tavares accepts a seven-year contract with Maple Leafs



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John Tavares accepted a seven-year, $ 77 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

The 27-year-old, captain of the New York Islanders since 2013-14, was selected by New York with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Maple Leafs were one of six teams Tavares played in Los Angeles last week, including the Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay. Lightning. The maximum contract that he could have received from another team than the Islanders was seven years; it is believed that New York offered him the maximum of eight years.

Tweet @ 91Tavares: Not every day you can live a childhood dream pic.twitter.com/YUTKdfMALl[19459010'

I am thrilled to "Begin a new chapter of my career and my life in Toronto with the Maple Leafs," Tavares tweeted Sunday. "I feel very lucky to join a team with a large core of young people and play where I grew up learning and loving the game. I can not wait to get started!"

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Lou Lamoriello was hired by the Islanders as President of Hockey Operations on May 22nd and took office as General Manager on June 5th. After firing GM Garth Snow and Coach Doug Weight. Lamoriello then said that GM's change of coach and coach had nothing to do with Tavares. Barry Trotz, who coached the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup last season, was hired June 21.

But these steps were not enough to convince Tavares to stay in New York, where he played the entire 2017-18 season with his uncertain long-term future. He could have re-signed with the Islanders from 1 July 1.

"It's obviously what I hope to be, I've always said," Tavares said on 9 April, two days after the end of the Islanders season. "But obviously, I have time to think about my situation and go from there."

Video: NYI @ DET: Tavares wins in OT for Islanders

"I l 'l l l I liked here. People have really embraced me, the team, the organization. He has been first clbad since I arrived here. There is obviously a lot of talent and beautiful things to come. Certainly a lot of positives. I should obviously take a little time and determine what I want to do and go from there.

The Maple Leafs have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the past two seasons, but have not won a series since 2004. Stanley Cup since 1967. They finished third in the division Atlantic last season (49-26-7) and lost to the Bruins in the first round of the Eastern Conference in seven games.

Tweet from @ AM34: Welcome aboard @Tavares! Pumped you into the blue and white and now calls you a teammate #goleafs

Tavares had 84 points (37 goals, 47 badists) in 2017-18 and his 621 points (272 goals, 349 badists) ranks fifth in the history of the Islanders and first among players who have not played at the four consecutive Stanley Cup teams in New York from 1980 to 1983. He led the Islanders in seven of his nine seasons in the NHL. He scored at least 24 goals in each season and scored 22 points. ts (11 goals, 11 badists) in 24 playoff games. He scored in the second overtime of a 2-1 win against the Florida Panthers in the sixth game of the first round of the Eastern Conference in 2016 to give the Islanders their only win in the playoffs playoff since 1993.

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