Barring any late surprises, it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs will give it one last go with the “Core Four” of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and captain John Tavares.
Since the Boston Bruins eliminated the Maple Leafs in the opening round of the playoffs, countless fans and pundits have called for Toronto GM Brad Treliving to trade either Mitch Marner or John Tavares, with both entering the final year of their respective contracts.
Marner is nine years younger and the far more valuable two-way player at this phase of their careers. So if Treliving decides to trade one of his top forwards, it will likely be the 33-year-old captain.
A fan on PuckPedia proposed a fascinating trade idea that would see Toronto deal John Tavares to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a pair of Stanley Cup-winning forwards in Jaden Schwartz and Yanni Gourde plus a 2025 second-round pick.
JOHN TAVARES 🚨
THAT’S A GOOD GOAL! pic.twitter.com/0Lao7tIXYo
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 23, 2024
Tavares has a 2024-25 cap hit of $11 million, while Schwartz and Gourde combine for a modest $7.16 million cap hit. This move would clear space for Toronto, but Seattle would be getting the best player in the deal.
Last season, Tavares scored 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games. That was a down year for his standards, but Tavares is also just two years removed from a 36-goal and 80-point campaign.
A John Tavares Trade To Seattle Is A Win-Win For All Parties
Schwartz, who won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, has struggled since joining the Kraken in their expansion 2021-22 season. A five-time 50-point player in St. Louis, he has only 93 points in 170 total games with the Kraken.
Gourde won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning (in 2020 and 2021) and has posted two 48-point seasons in Seattle. He’s a quality depth forward, but Tavares is a consistent 25-goal and 70-point threat who would bolster Seattle’s depth down the middle.
