You could feel the schadenfreude radiating from Long Island on Sunday night as the seven-year deal signed by John Tavares with the Maple Leafs in 2018 came to an ignominious end.
The Core Four led by Tavares, the Leafs captain until this year, accounted for two playoff series victories over those seven seasons, and while Toronto media heaped blame onto Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews for their respective no-shows against the Panthers, footie pajamas were no help to Tavares either.
Tavares told reporters after the game he wants to re-sign, but conventional wisdom is the Leafs must break up their core in some way, shape or form. If it’s over, Tavares’ time in Toronto ended with him earning points in just one of seven games against Florida, and a pedestrian-for-him 31 points in 51 playoff games with Toronto that included five Game 7 defeats, with a minus-3 in Sunday’s embarrassing 6-1 loss to Florida.
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