John Tavares didn’t just follow his heart home to Toronto.
In his head, he envisioned the Maple Leafs as a perennial contender.
“I came here believing that we can win a Stanley Cup year in, year out,” the former Islanders captain said.
Tavares, 28, joined the Leafs as a free agent after nine seasons with the Isles. His departure for Toronto, his hometown team, caught many fans by surprise, prompting him to pen a 4,000-word apologetic essay in “The Players Tribune.”
Now, In Year One of the Tavares era with young stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner riding shotgun, the Maple Leafs are expected to make the playoffs and go on a run next spring.