The fit should have been questioned at the very start, especially in the cap world. When you already inherited matthews as your 1C, and you have other holes to fill, how wise is it to double down and throw all that cap space at another center to be your #2 guy?
I've maintained that the Tavares signing was a signing of luxury instead of necessity, and you don't go after luxuries until your necessities are fulfilled.
As a secondary center who from my viewing, seems to play down low on the PP for his time in Toronto, I think his numbers have generally been fine for his tenure, but the real problem is the roster construction. The opportunity cost went through the roof for this signing especially when the cap flattened out. Imagine having that money available to get more a lower cost but effective 2nd center... perhaps keeping kadri who became such a key peice in Colorado cup, and then still having money left over to support reilly on the top end of that defense.