John Tavares was the biggest free agent on the market during the 2018 NHL offseason. The Boston Bruins were in the mix for him, but he ultimately ended up signing a seven-year, $77 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With the Bruins and Maple Leafs set to meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tavares was recently asked about his consideration of the Bruins and apparently, he did strongly consider signing with them, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.
"They were a great team to meet with and definitely a team I thought about for quite a bit," Tavares said the other day. "They're a very impressive group."
Of course, Tavares ultimately chose the Maple Leafs as his preferred destination and for the second-straight season, the Maple Leafs will have to get through the Bruins to continue on their quest for the Stanley Cup. And the irony of that is not lost on him, per Zeisberger.
"Funny how things work out like that, isn't it?" he said with a laugh. "Now I get to go against them in the first round and for many years ahead.
"That's a team with a solid structure and organization. I know how hard it will be to face them."
So far this season, the Bruins have fared well against the Maple Leafs even without having Tavares on their side. They hold a 3-1 record against the Leafs and have outscored them 16-10 in the four-game season series.
-
Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs schedule set
And in last year's playoff series, the Bruins were able to knock off the Maple Leafs in seven games. They'll look to make it two consecutive years when the series gets underway on Thursday night.
Boston Bruins
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.