Let the bidding war begin
Five teams to sit down with Tavares this week, but Islanders still have best chance of keeping their star
Let the courting period begin. Or, in the case of John Tavares, let the bidding war begin.
The 27-year-old, who has spent his entire NHL career with the New York Islanders, becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and his agent has already let it be known that Tavares intends to listen to offers from a select group of five teams during a fiveday negotiation window that begins on Monday.
Theoretically, that means San Jose, Toronto and perhaps Dallas, Tampa Bay and Vegas should have an equal opportunity of signing arguably the biggest free agent in recent memory.
Then again, don’t bet on it. The Islanders are not out of the mix. If anything, they’re still the preferred choice.
This all feels too familiar. Two years ago, it was Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos who was supposedly willing to entertain offers heading into the summer free agency period. He did, with the Leafs making a generous offer to the Markham, Ont., native. And then, two days before July 1, Stamkos signed an eight-year contract worth
$68 million with the team that drafted him and which also gave him the best chance of winning a Stanley Cup.
The circumstances are slightly different, but don’t be surprised if Tavares ends up down a similar path with the Islanders. As a pending unrestricted free agent, it’s his right to see what he might fetch on the open market. It’s also his right take that offer back to the Islanders in hopes that they match it or make him an even better offer.
After all, while Toronto can offer the Mississauga, Ont., native a chance to play at home, only the Islanders are allowed to go beyond seven years and offer an eight-year extension worth as much as $88 million.
“I have no disappointment, no discouragement,” said Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello, who was hired a month ago primarily to keep Tavares in New York. “I think he’s earned every right to make whatever choice he has. The most important thing is that we hope his decision is to be an Islander.”
As Lamoriello spoke, there was no hint of worry or concern that he had just blown an opportunity to re-sign the team’s captain and franchise player. He’ll get another chance to make another pitch, he said.
That being said, you can expect teams to put on a fullcourt press for a centre who might be among the Top 5 best in the league.
Tavares is certainly the best free agent to come around since Brad Richards entered the open market in 2011. And unlike Richards, who was four years older, Tavares is still in his prime. Every team would want him, even if it means getting creative with the salary cap.
“We would have to make room,” said Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. “We would have to make room if we brought in a significant salary.”
Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas refused to speculate directly on Tavares’ availability, but said the team has the cap space and freedom to “do really whatever we want” when it comes to pursuing free agents.
Still, you would have to believe that with William Nylander needing a contract extension this summer and the entrylevel contracts of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner expiring in 2019, the team probably doesn’t want to sink $11 million to $12 million into another forward, especially when the defence needs a substantial upgrade. Then again, maybe they offer him a lucrative oneyear “win now” deal. Anything is possible with a player whose presence can instantly turn a team into a legitimate contender.
San Jose, which freed up $4 million by trading Mikkel Boedker and close to another $2 million by buying out defenceman Paul Martin, is in a better position capwise. The same goes with Vegas and Dallas. But the only question is whether any of them present a better long-term opportunity than the Islanders?
Two months ago, that wasn’t even a question.
But that was before the Islanders hired Lou Lamoriello and then cleaned out their front office, hiring Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz to replace Doug Weight. That was before Mathew Barzal won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie and, according to scouts, New York “won” the draft by having U.S. power forward Oliver Wahlstrom and Memorial Cup-winning defenceman Noah Dobson fall into their laps with the 11th and 12th overall picks.
The team still needs to find a starting goalie and add reinforcements on the back end, but for the first time since Tavares was selected first overall in 2009, it appears as though the Islanders are on the track towards success. Heck, they even seem to have finally figured out their arena problems.
If you were Tavares, who has put up with so much turmoil in the past nine years, why would you leave just as it’s starting turn around?
“I think that’s a question you’d have to ask him,” said Lamoriello. “But I think what we’ve tried to do — there’s been a commitment from ownership — Scott Malkin wanted this franchise to be the best in the National Hockey League. He gave me the authority to go out and do whatever is necessary to do that. And the first decision was certainly to get a coach. In my opinion, we got one of the best coaches in the National Hockey League.
“Now what we have to do is certainly convince our player that this is the right situation for him. But he has to make that decision.”
From here, it looks like he already has. It’s just a matter of making sure he’s not leaving any money on the table.
I think he’s earned every right to make whatever choice he has. The most important thing is that we hope his decision is to be an Islander. Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello