The Leafs captain is in his age 33 season, a point where many players start to show signs of age-related decline at a high rate. Tavares seemed to be aging well over the past few seasons, including the first half this year. However, recently his play has plummeted, leading to Sheldon Keefe giving him a new role for the team.
Much has been said about Tavares since the demotion. His play has continued to falter, leading many fans to call out the team for their spin on his new assignment.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have seemed to spin the narrative around their captain in a positive way. Instead of calling it a demotion, sources are saying that he is 'taking one for the team' in an effort to give the Leafs a more balanced offense.
However, many fans are not buying it. They can see that Tavares is struggling and know that his demotion is due to his declining level of play on the ice. Notably, the Leafs captain has just one goal and three points over his last seven games.
Other fans have been even more harsh, citing crucial mistakes in the last couple of games.
As seen on Why Maple Leafs' John Tavares is accepting a reduced offensive role
POLL | ||
27 FEVRIER | 934 ANSWERS John Tavares Reveals How He Is Coping With The Most Difficult Stretch Of His Career Do you think the Leafs should re-sign Tavares? | ||
Yes | 331 | 35.4 % |
Not if he continues to play like this | 284 | 30.4 % |
No | 319 | 34.2 % |
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