John Tavares is on pace to hit a milestone many NHL greats never reached

"Despite high expectations, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the NHL's most disappointing teams. They may be just four points behind the division-leading Detroit Red Wings, but the Leafs are sitting in seventh place in the Atlantic, struggling to hang onto a 0.500 points percentage. One of the reasons is their inability to play well defensively, while their goaltending has been a revolving door thanks to injuries."

"With 27 points in 21 games, Tavares is on pace to snag between 105 and 106 if he keeps up this trajectory. Should he bust through the 100-point barrier, Tavares will join a rare club that even Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have yet to join, if they ever will. Only five NHL players ever have hit 100 points or more after turning 35: Johnny Bucyk, Gordie Howe, Jean Ratelle, Wayne Gretzky, and most recently, Joe Sakic in 2006-07."

"And remember, Tavares is the only one of the Maple Leafs' top four forwards who hasn't missed time with an injury. So if this team gets healthy again and gets back on track, there's a good chance that they will forge the best scoring unit in hockey. Getting Matthews and Knies back in the lineup will only help Tavares' cause. What's even more remarkable about this is that Tavares has never scored over 88 points in a single season."

The Toronto Maple Leafs sit seventh in the Atlantic and are struggling to maintain a .500 points percentage despite being four points behind the division-leading Detroit Red Wings. Defensive play has been inconsistent and goaltending depth has been undermined by injuries, creating a revolving door in net. Offense has remained potent, with 72 goals in 21 games (3.42 per contest). John Tavares has led the attack with 27 points in 21 games, tied for the team lead, and projects to about 105–106 points if the current pace continues. Returning Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies would bolster the top scoring unit.

Read at Editor In Leaf