Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares needs to lead from the front in 2020-21

John Tavares needs to lead by example in 2020-21.

There will be huge pressure on the Toronto Maple Leafs once again heading into the 2020-21 NHL season – what’s new – and there will also be plenty of expectation surrounding Captain John Tavares.

Seen as the final piece for an already loaded and talent-laden core when he signed a blockbuster seven-year, $77 million contract in Free Agency on July 1, 2018, Tavares has largely come as advertised.

However, he turned down the chance to stay on Long Island with the New York Islanders in order to return home and win a Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs and, as we all know, that hasn’t come to fruition yet.

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Nowhere near, in-fact.

Therefore, all eyes will be on the Maple Leafs once again in 2020-21 as they try to take advantage of a stacked and explosive top-six forward group to bring back the first Stanley Cup to Toronto since 1967 – a lifetime ago.

As the Captain and the leader of this storied franchise, a lot of that burden will fall on the shoulders of Tavares and, after somewhat of a down year in 2019-20, the center will be expected to lead from the front and produce a big year for his team.

Now, reports of a decline in Tavares’ game are somewhat greatly exaggerated, especially when you consider that he only played 63 games last year due to a combination of a hand injury and the COVID-19 Pandemic shortening the regular season.

In those 63 games the 30-year-old recorded 60 points (26 G, 34 A) with a 53.2% CF%, a 53.2% oZS% and a Plus / Minus rating of -7.

Tavares did record 21 points on the power play (7 G, 14 A) and his shooting percentage still came in at 13.2%.

Now, while Tavares’ production did drop off in both points and most offensive metrics, the drop off was minor to say the least and is nothing to worry about.

Again, he scored 28 less points than he did in 2018-19 but it is important to remember it was a shortened season and he missed some time earlier in the year with a hand injury, which may have proved troublesome when he did return.

The interesting factor is that Tavares actually posted a 0.95 Points Per Game average, better than his career average over nine years, so that suggests a strong bounce back year in 2020-21 is in the offing.

Then you have to consider the bigger picture.

Tavares is tasked with playing a real 200-foot game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s also asked to play in all situations.

As such, he’s got a lot more on his plate to worry about than just lighting the lamp and creating high-danger chances for his teammates, although that’s still a high priority.

John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

For instance, the center is expected to act as a shutdown presence in his own zone on occasion, while he’s relied on a lot by the coaching staff after averaging 19:33 of ATOI during the 2019-20 regular season and a massive 22:42 during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tavares is also relied on for his prowess in the faceoff circle, winning 55.3% of his draws during the 2019-20 regular season 57.6 in the Playoffs, and he is also able to put his 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds frame to good use with 32 hits and 31 blocked shots in 2019-20.

So, even with a shortened season in 2020-21, Tavares should put up big numbers if he can remain healthy and he’ll be a huge factor in the offense for the Maple Leafs.

He’ll also continue to be crucial in all three zones for Toronto and the left shot should still have a couple years of his prime left.

It is also important to note that, as part of his wider list of responsibilities for the Leafs, Tavares gets plenty of defensive starts and if Frederik Andersen can’t bail a bad defense out with a save, then that will also impact Tavares’ ability to change the tide of a contest with an elite play.

But, with the likes of TJ Brodie and Zach Bogosian recruited during the offseason, the Maple Leafs should be better on the backend in 2020-21 and that should only help Tavares to do his thing and play his natural game without having to focus on the defensive side of his game too much.

Also, with Wayne Simmonds and Joe Thornton also on the Maple Leafs roster for the 2020-21 season, some of the defensive burden should be eased on Tavares and he might be allowed to focus on wreaking some damage and absolute havoc in the offensive zone.

All in all, Tavares is still playing at the peak of his powers and he’s due for a big bounce back year in 2020-21 after a frustrating 2019-20 season.

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And, given all the pressure surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and that core featuring the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, John Tavares will need to elevate his game further and take on the role of a true leader in order to inspire his team to finally slaying their postseason demons in 2020-21.

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