It seems like the New York Islanders are trying to pull out all the stops in an effort to keep centre John Tavares from leaving Long Island.
But will it be enough?
The 27-year-old Mississauga native is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and we’re all wondering whether or not Tavares will indeed decide to test the waters.
As he mulls over his decision, it is important to note that the Isles have made some huge improvements off the ice.
New York brought in Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello as general manager, and on Thursday, they hired Barry Trotz as head coach just a couple of weeks after he guided the Washington Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup.
Both of those hires prove that New York is serious about building a contending team, something the Islanders have not been doing during Tavares’ nine NHL seasons. They have only made the playoffs three times in those nine years.
While the Isles have some talent on the ice, like 2017-18 rookie of the year Mathew Barzal and winger Jordan Eberle, New York is in desperate need of an elite goalie and a few more pieces before they can be considered a serious threat to contend for the cup.
And that might end up being the deciding factor for Tavares.
He is going to get paid huge dollars wherever he lands, somewhere between $10 million and $12 million a season, so money is not the be-all and end-all.
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Every player wants to win the Stanley Cup, and I think Tavares will sign with the team he thinks has the best shot. Lamoriello, Trotz and co. may convince him of that. Otherwise, let the best team win the Tavares sweepstakes.
My top five teams in the hunt for Tavares:
5. Toronto Maple Leafs – As a diehard Leafs fan, this may be just a dream. Although, Toronto is close to making a serious cup run and Tavares is from Mississauga. Then again, the Leafs already have a franchise centre in Auston Matthews, who is going to be filling up his own bank account in a very big way in 12 months’ time.
4. Montreal Canadiens – The Habs desperately need a talented centre for their top line. But does Tavares want to be the focal point — and perhaps the de facto fall guy — if things don’t improve in hockey mad Montreal?
3. San Jose Sharks – Tavares would not only be the undisputed number one centre in San Jose, he would be surrounded with a wealth of talent like Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Logan Couture and Evander Kane.
2. New York Rangers – The Blueshirts would love nothing better than to steal the Islanders’ prized possession and make him the cornerstone of a quick rebuild on Broadway.
1. New York Islanders – Re-signing with the Isles, the only team he has played for, is not out of the question. Tavares may finally be convinced that Lamoriello and Trotz can push the Islanders over the hump.
My top five sleepers in the Tavares sweepstakes:
5. Carolina Hurricanes – The Canes have a mountain of cap space to play with, but if Tavares wants to win a cup Carolina may not be the place to be.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets – Columbus has a bunch of talent on offence, defence and between the pipes. But does Tavares want to go from one under-the-radar market to another?
3. New Jersey Devils – Wouldn’t it be hilarious if Tavares ended up signing with Lamoriello’s former team? And I don’t mean the Leafs. New Jersey doesn’t have a ton of cap space, but playing with Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall and mentoring young centre Nico Hischier might entice Johnny T.
2. Vegas Golden Knights – They have cap space and just proved with their improbable run to the Stanley Cup final that they have a lot of talent.
1. Vancouver Canucks – With super bros Henrik and Daniel Sedin now enjoying retirement, the Canucks are desperate for a new face of the franchise. Tavares can be that guy, but does he want to wait a few years while Vancouver goes through its rebuild?
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