Tavares’ path to free agency is not yet a smooth road for NHL stars

When John Tavares decided to pass on signing an extension with the New York Islanders and test free agency, he became the most interesting man in hockey.

NHL stars don’t ordinarily get to that point, and it led to Tavares going home to Toronto to sign a $77 million, seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs. Fellow players were watching closely, too, and wondering what the long-term impact might be.

“Even if we weren’t directly affiliated with it, it would’ve been interesting to follow because you don’t see it that often,” Islanders winger Anders Lee said. “Who knows if it’s going to set a precedent or not or anything like that.”

The early returns are mixed. Tyler Seguin hopes a long-term deal can get done with the Stars before the regular season begins next month, while Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene started wondering about what could be. Seguin said he hasn’t gotten that far to imagine himself in Tavares’ shoes.

“I didn’t look into it really too much because my goal has still been to be a Dallas Star,” Seguin said Friday. “That plan hasn’t changed.”

A lot of times there isn’t a plan yet.

While Seguin said there has been positive dialogue between his agent and the Stars in recent days, Duchene hasn’t talked to the Senators about an extension and Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson is the constant subject of trade rumours with one year left on his deal.

Duchene feels better than at the start of previous seasons when he was less than happy in Colorado and didn’t know where he’d be next. Only this time, his uncertainty doesn’t feel so bad after watching Tavares get to free agency and have the chance to pick his destination.

“It gives you something to think about because you want to make the best decision for yourself,” Duchene said. “Sometimes the way a team does things can trigger a different response from the individual and vice versa. It’s not a cookiecutter thing.”

Tavares understands that. He had to weigh nine years with the Islanders against recent struggles to make the playoffs and the potential offered by teams like the Maple Leafs and Sharks.

His situation was so often compared to that Steven Stamkos - who re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on the eve of free agency in 2016 - that Tavares doesn’t expect Seguin, Duchene or anyone else to feel the same ways he did.