Wild Theory on Tavares’ Captaincy Removal a New Low for Leafs

In a recent episode of the Kyper and Bourne podcast featuring Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee, a wild theory emerged regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs’ decision to ask John Tavares to relinquish his captaincy. Kypreos suggested that the organization might have hoped Tavares would be so insulted by the request that he would request a trade. The result would have been permission to seek a deal to send out a player who has a full no-move and the Leafs could have dumped his $11 million bloated contract.

While this theory may sound far-fetched, it does raise questions about the lengths a team might go to in pursuit of a cap-friendly roster and what it means for Tavares’ future in Toronto.

Is Kypreos Trying to Stir Up Drama Surrounding Maple Leafs and Tavares?

Kypreos didn’t come right out and say the Maple Leafs did this in an attempt to get Tavares to opt out. But, he certainly teased it and in Toronto, where almost every little story blows up into a dramatic over-exaggeration, semantics doesn’t matter. As a veteran sports commentator, Kypreos knows that tossing out this theory will stir up emotions among the fan base.

The mere suggestion that other NHL players have been asking why Tavares would have been open to giving up the ‘C’ so easily while they would have demanded out in the face of such an insulting request hints at one of two things: Tavares wants to stay so badly he’s willing to be insulted, or he saw right through what the Leafs were trying to do and didn’t bite.

Kypreos suggested that Tavares took the high road but acknowledged that not all players would react similarly. This statement opens the door to a bizarre notion: Did the Leafs genuinely consider that Tavares would be provoked enough to ask for a trade?

Were the Maple Leafs Trying to Get Cap Relief?

“If it could help alleviate the cap,” Kypreos remarked, “the Leafs were prepared to hear that from him.” This leads to an intriguing question: Would the Maple Leafs actually stoop that low?

The idea that a professional sports organization would intentionally attempt to agitate one of its star players is not only insulting to the club but also counterproductive. Tavares is not just any player. Even though he’s going to have to take a pay cut to stay beyond this season, he is a leader on and off the ice and has been a cornerstone of the franchise for years. To believe that the Leafs would engage in a strategy to “push him out” feels more like a conspiracy theory than a plausible scenario.