Toronto Maple Leafs: Speculation links John Tavares to Toronto
Speculation continues to grow that John Tavares will be leaving the New York Islanders for the Toronto Maple Leafs but how credible is it?
The hashtag #TavaresWatch has been trending the past couple of days in Toronto but even with no confirmed reports of John Tavares’ decision that hasn’t stopped the speculation.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans are constantly scrolling and refreshing Twitter waiting for something to happen and every bit of speculation is being examined with a fine-toothed comb.
At this point, every hockey insider is trying to see whether Tavares is going to make a decision tonight because if he doesn’t that at least eliminates the New York Islanders from the list.
Earlier today, we wrote about how the Leafs, Islanders and San Jose Sharks were the rumoured front-runners
This is why any sort of speculation linked to any of those three teams is tough to ignore even if it is based on someone’s opinion.
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What makes this one interesting is the fact that teammates and friends of Tavares have been kept in the dark about where the process is heading.
The interesting part to this tweet whether it’s legitimate or not is the point that Tavares is more likely to leave considering how much time is left for him to get eight years from the Islanders.
Another insider/reporter that many are following during this process is Arthur Staple who writes for the Athletic and clearly has many sources from the organization.
He has had some good thoughts and reports on the whole situation including the idea of money being the main factor.
By the way, for those saying the #TavaresWatch is all about money -- if that were true, he'd have signed with the #Isles ages ago. The most money is here. Seems he wants to find the best chance to win in addition to a giant pile of cash.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) June 30, 2018
Now the worse type of speculation is when somebody who doesn’t have credibility as a hockey insider puts the word sources in their story or tweet to get people to click on their content.
Again this is where careful attention has to be paid and sometimes the blue check mark doesn’t mean that it’s the best source.
What some Leafs fans can take from the speculation is that Toronto has been the top landing spot for many people.
Not chasing the story, so just hearsay: the hockey "insiders" I've talked to today think Tavares going to Toronto.
— Adrian Dater (@adater) June 30, 2018
Now to repeat, that does not guarantee Tavares is going to choose Toronto but it is tough to ignore the signs point him to play for his hometown team.
At this point, if he hasn’t announced his return to Long Island, Leafs Nation will start to feel hopeful and for good reason.
Next: William Nylander will not be leaving
What are your thoughts on the Tavares situation? Are you feeling optimistic about his chances to come to Toronto? Let us know in the comments below.