John Tavares was reportedly only willing to give up captaincy on one condition

Overall, this has led to lots of speculation about Tavares and his future in Toronto. After all, he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, and without the C, there are fewer incentives to bring back an aging player. However, some reporters believe Tavares' latest move actually bolsters his future with the Leafs.

James Mirtle of The Athletic was on Sportsnet 590 recently where he theorized that Tavares gave up the C with the promise that he would receive a contract extension. Needless to say, this whole situation may have just been a game of give and take.

If this is true, it will be interesting to see what the terms of such a deal would look like. Either way, Leafs fans would certainly love to see this get done. With Matthews as the new captain, perhaps new life can be breathed into the team, with Tavares focusing more on production and being a veteran presence whom Matthews can lean on for advice.

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