New York Islanders F John Tavares: No Reason to Stay Beyond 2018

New York Islanders F John Tavares Has Little Reason to Stay in Brooklyn Beyond 2018

New York Islanders F John Tavares is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2018. It’s still early with plenty of time to work out a long-term extension, but if you’re in Johnny T’s shoes, there should be a few burning questions that need answers first.

In a recent NHL.com interview with new majority stakes co-owner Jon Ledecky, the goal moving forward is to build a “world-class product” both on and off the ice.

via NHL.com,

“We should be the world-class destination for free agents,” Ledecky said. “You think about a [salary-cap] world, everybody can spend to the cap, and we certainly have no constraints on our GM and our staff to spend. We want to create and continue to progress towards John Tavares lifting that Stanley Cup, so we should be world-class in everything we do.”

But what exactly have the New York Islanders done to sway F John Tavares to sign a long-term deal? Constantly surrounded by mediocre talent, the theme continued this offseason.

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It’s no offence to Andrew Ladd, but he’s much better suited to a second line role. Ladd and P.A. Parenteau to replace Kyle Okpso, Frans Nielsen, and Matt Martin is hardly an upgrade.

If the Islanders are hoping for one of Ryan Strome, Anders Lee, or Brock Nelson to fill the void, they could be quickly disappointed. Perhaps a top prospect such as Michael Dal Colle, Anthony Beauvillier, or Josh Ho-Sang surprisingly emerges, but we’re talking about a lot of hypotheticals.

Putting lack of star power aside for a second; two other reasons could have New York Islanders F John Tavares thinking free agency in 2018.

Reports broke in late March that players were complaining about the ice condition at Barclays Center. The NHL stepped in to send their resident “ice guru” to address the issue. Given it was the first year in Brooklyn, conditions should improve moving forward. The other major complaint was an hour-long commute to the Islanders practice facility in Long Island. 

Who knows if either of the above issues factor into Tavares’ eventual decision. What it should ultimately come down to is whether or not Johnny T believes GM Garth Snow is building towards that winning product Jon Ledecky refers to.

Does this team have enough talent on their roster/in the system to convince him to stay? Or, does Garth Snow need to make a major splash in the next year and a half to find a more suitable first line upgrade?

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This entire conversation is purely speculative. For all we know, John Tavares has every intention of signing a long-term deal when negotiations eventually open. On the flip, he may have it in his mind that he’s ready to move on elsewhere. The prospect of becoming the NHL’s highest paid player in a new environment can be an exciting/tempting thought.

While still early, it’s a convo worth having. A superstar like John Tavares is not easily replaced. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman had the luxury of rolling the dice with Steven Stamkos based on the quality depth of his lineup; Garth Snow doesn’t have that same luxury.

If he’s not confident he can re-sign Tavares, they must look to trade him prior to the 2017-18 season to maximize value. They won’t get enough in return for him as a rental at the deadline (or in-season trade).

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Can you imagine the distraction surrounding John Tavares (which would be orchestrated by Toronto media)? It will match, if not exceed that of Stamkos-mania. The rebuild wasn’t prepared to be accelerated by Stammer, but things could look very different two years down the road.

Keep tuned, this will be one of the more intriguing storylines to watch in the near future.