The John Tavares sweepstakes are over: The Toronto Maple Leafs have landed the free agent centre with a seven-year deal with an average annual value of $11 million.
The first overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares has 272 goals and 621 points in 669 career NHL games and coming off a 2017-18 season in which he scored 37 goals and 84 points.
It was a happy Canada Day indeed for fans of the Maple Leafs, who finally saw one of their native sons come home in the prime of his NHL career.
Here is how the news unfolded and the reaction that came from Leafs Nation:
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1013466977765953536
Welcome @91Tavares now we go to work
— Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri) July 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/97vannov/status/1013468598277431297
https://twitter.com/Trustytheproces/status/1013467456935989248
JOHN TAVARES IS A TORONRO MAPLE LEAF WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE
— Ashley (@phaneufsgirl3) July 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/pass_the_jelly/status/1013468152452276227
https://twitter.com/b_sinc/status/1013468973428498433
On #CanadaDay John Tavares is a #Toronto Maple Leaf!! How fitting! #TMLtalk | #GoLeafsGo pic.twitter.com/qaNNAoQ3Es
— Toronto SportsGirl (@TO_sportsgirl) July 1, 2018
I think Tavares made the right decision. Most of Toronto's top players are really young and still improving. Unlike San Jose, for example, Toronto is in position to contend now *and* in the future.
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) July 1, 2018
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