Tavares Time

True story.

When the Tampa Bay Lightning were considering giving Steve Stamkos a night off as a healthy scratch in mid-season last year, part of the consideration was waiting until the Bolts were as far away from Toronto as possible to minimize the controversy, speculation and fallout from sitting the youngster.

So when did he sit? Jan. 9 in Anaheim, about as far away from Toronto as one can get and still be in the NHL.

Of course, that’s speaking geographically. Figuratively, you could argue that Long Island has become Antarctica to the rest of the NHL, which is why it may turn out to be the perfect place for John Tavares to begin his career as NHL player and franchise saviour.

Far away from the rumour-mill nonsense of the GTA.

Tavares, now 19, leads a four-pack of 2009 first-rounders to make the grade to start the NHL regular season, along with No. 2 pick Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay), No. 3 selection Matt Duchene (Colorado) and the fourth pick, Evander Kane of the Atlanta Thrashers. The Isles are also making noises about keeping around the 12th pick of the draft, Oshawa Generals defenceman Calvin de Haan, for regular season exposure, but de Haan is injured and also unsigned. (Photo: Tavares on draft day, 2009. Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Tavares, clearly, has the biggest job ahead of him of any of the top picks. Not only does he have to try to establish himself as an offensive threat on a thin team – his wingers on opening night are likely to be Sean Bergenheim and GTA product Matt Moulson – but he has to try to be part of the effort to save the franchise as well.

It's not dissimilar to the task that faced Sidney Crosby when he went to Pittsburgh in 2005. The Islanders are losing an estimated $20 million per season playing out of antiquated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and owner Charles Wang has told local officials that if he doesn’t get some good news on his massive Lighthouse Project by Saturday he’s going to start looking at offers to move the team.

Already this fall, the Isles played an exhibition game in Kansas City, although that contest drew fewer than 10,000 fans. Las Vegas would be another possibility, and if the NHL wins the Phoenix auction, at some point you’d have to wonder if Jim Balsillie and Hamilton would come up.

Five years after announcing the 150-acre Lighthouse Project, Wang still hasn’t seen a shovel in the ground. The scheme would include a new arena, commercial and residential development including a canal and all kinds of goodies, so naturally there are multiple layers of bureaucracy and politics to wade through, just as there would be in the GTA if such a plan were ever proposed.

Wang has complained the process is taking far too long, which is why he has set an unofficial deadline, and why local politicos are balking.

“We don’t tell them when they have to bring in a Stanley Cup,” said one town official quoted in Newsday.

That’s nasty. The once-great Isles have a lease at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum until 2015, but we already know from Phoenix the NHL doesn’t much worry about that stuff.

So into this maelstrom of insolvency and uncertainty goes Tavares. Stamkos had to deal with a lot of on-ice and off-ice issues in Tampa last season and survived, so theoretically so can Tavares.

It won’t be easy. But it helps that not as many people are watching the Islanders as once did.

Comments

[nugentmania]

Tavares didn't look that great in the pre-season, but he's going to turn out fine. Not sure it will be enough to raise the Islanders in the standings. Maybe Taylor Hall on his wing next year is what it will take. Someone posted on a Damien article that the Leafs got the best player in the draft at #7, that Kadri is better than Tavares. I think what clouds that judgement is their skating. Great skaters look like world-beaters out on the ice during training camp, and Kadri has great wheels. And going into the draft, scouts knew this. And they also knew that skating was the weakest part of Tavares game. I have know doubt that Kadri will make an impact with the Maple Leafs. But Tavares will be the best offensive player from this draft. Because, as this article points out indirectly, if Tavares was drafted by the Leafs, he'd already be Mayor.

[other mark]

O.K., so we all know the backdrop now. The Island has turned into a hockey wasteland and Tavares (along with Wang's pet realestate project) is to turn it into a paradise. Sounds daunting. But, the question not answered in this article (or any I've seen todate) is this: is Tavares capable of becoming an elite player in the NHL? That will be the interesting thing to watch.

[adam]

"Toronto Islanders"

[guelphdad]

"Toronto Islanders" sounds great, why they could get a cheap 99 year lease ....

[A-Mar]

Having watched the Knights play several times over the course of the year, it was Kadri that was involved in the play at all times, not Tavares... Tavares is more of a predator, he picks his spots and suddenly strikes to net goals... if you're looking for all-around play or end-to-end rushes, then I agree that Kadri is 'the guy'... but who is going to score more goals in the NHL? It'd be foolish not to pick Tavares.

[Tabber]

Save the Islanders! Where's Gary to ride to the rescue? C'mon, Commish, New York is an underserved hockey market, and should have at least 4 teams. You have to save the Islanders and bring another team in, say to the Bronx. In fact, take the Maple Leafs and put them in NYNY - please! Show your dedication to saving hockey in the U.S. of A. - just think of the poor hockey-starved fans in the New York area, they're obviously more deserving of a team than Southern Ontario, where the fans don't bother showing up. Get on it, Saviour Gary, let's hear from you about the league buying the Lefs and moving them. It's what the U.S. fans deserve, after their support for the teams down there, putting Canadian cities to shame. Canadians don't deserve hockey.

[2nd Guess]

If Balsillie ultimately can't get his hands on the Coyotes, here's how he could get the Islanders to Hamilton: get Wang to move the team, front him the indemnification money for the Leafs and Sabres (and/or NHL) as a silent partner, and simply buy from him a year or two later. Except . . . if things go as well as some expect, there will be a long lineup of potential owners -- and the NHL is already showing how far it will go to keep Balsillie out of the lodge.

(Sticking with a topographical theme, could the Islanders become the Hamilton Mountains? Mountaineers?)

[Brian]

Tavares was hyped since he was a kid, Kadri has shown me he is the real deal. When Kadri spends another year in junior and gains 20 pounds watch out. Tavares dominate the OHL but the NHL he will have a very difficult time. He could be another Alexander Diagle but time will tell, but again all this hype on Tavares could be his downfall.
The Leafs did get the best player in the draft if he was hyped as much as Tavares he could of been a Islander .

[Rick Grace]

These failing American teams are bringing down the NHL. In Canada the league is flying high. Canada brings the NHL most of its fans and prestige. In Europe the NHL is seen as the best league in the world. Then you look down south, and see empty seats and apathy. It makes the NHL look like a garage league. The obvious solution is to forget most of the US of A and concentrate on Canada and Europe. Because I am tired of our game being ridiculed and denigrated by those people down south.

[guelphdad]

"The Leafs did get the best player in the draft if he was hyped as much as Tavares he could of been a Islander"

I think Matt Duchene will have something to say about that.

[Elvis Arnprior]

Victor Hedman will be the man everyone is talking about from this draft in 2020.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731530014]

If Kadri is a better player than Tarvares then why isn't he playing the NHL this year?

Kool aid drinking Leaf fans. Sheesh.