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How Leafs' Tavares helped usher in a new player empowerment era in NHL

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
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Jan 9 2024, 4:32 pm
How Leafs' Tavares helped usher in a new player empowerment era in NHL
Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports

After the dust settles for Cutter Gauthier following his big trade, he might want to thank Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares for opening the door for such a move.

Gauthier was traded yesterday from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick, a move that shocked many — given that Gauthier was fresh off a gold medal at the World Juniors and had yet to even sign a pro contract.

The No. 5 pick in the 2022 NHL draft by the Flyers and a current sophomore at Boston College, Gauthier had given the Flyers organization the cold shoulder in their attempts to sign him at this month’s World Juniors, as per multiple reports and later confirmed by Flyers president Keith Jones.

The Flyers themselves didn’t seem too pleased at Gauthier not wanting to stick around, with coach John Tortorella saying he didn’t know Gauthier from “a hole in the wall.”

And while their situations aren’t entirely similar, back in 2018, Tavares helped turn the tide of the NHL’s player empowerment era.

Like LeBron James’ infamous “The Decision” special on ESPN in 2010, where he announced he’d be joining the Miami Heat and leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tavares captivated hockey audiences for months as to where he’d end up going in free agency.

The first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares had spent his entire career with the New York Islanders and expressed interest in sticking around Long Island for the long term.

The NHL’s CBA was designed to keep talent like Tavares on the rosters that drafted them, giving any team with a player signing a contract extension the option to sign for eight years in the same market rather than the seven any other team could offer.

But eventually, speculation became reality when Tavares opted to join the Leafs on a seven-year contract worth $11 million per season — a move that would have ripple effects across the league.

Artemi Panarin one-upped him a year later on a seven-year deal worth $11.6 million per season with the New York Rangers, opting to leave the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There are only actually six players league-wide who have signed with a new team as an unrestricted free agent for more than $8 million a season — Tavares, Panarin, Dougie Hamilton, Sergei Bobrovsky, Alex Pietrangelo, and Johnny Gaudreau. The vast majority of NHL stars stick around with their current team, and there’s a reason we’re surprised when they don’t.

But that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been a few moves in recent years that clearly show players getting leverage over their organizations.

Tavares’ teammate Auston Matthews has seen his two NHL megadeals signed for four and five years, respectively — allowing the three-time Rocket Richard winner the ability to negotiate his contract more frequently and ultimately, earn more money in the process.

Then, of course, there’s the trade request levied by Matthew Tkachuk in the summer of 2022, where he pushed his way away from Calgary before ending up with the Florida Panthers. That move obviously worked well for Tkachuk as well, as he led the Panthers to a berth in the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Player empowerment might not exactly be great for fans who like to see their teams always get the best out of every situation, or for executives hoping to keep their teams intact, but there’s no denying it’s made an often-dry NHL a little bit more interesting.

And whether it’s stars like Matthews, upcoming prospects like Gauthier, or even just your average everyday NHLer, they can probably thank the Leafs captain even a little for setting a precedent for standing up for yourself.

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