John Tavares is saying the politically correct things while in public at the NHL ALL Star Weekend in Botox City.
Question is:
Does Tavares really want to remain a Brooklyn Islander?
Or, is he secretly looking forward to leaving the Islanders to win a Stanley Cup elsewhere?
Inquiring minds want to now.
J.T. said Saturday that he is open to signing a contract extension with the Isles when he becomes eligible to do so this summer. Tavares has just one season remaining on his current contract is in the top three of best value act. Tavares' contracts that makes him a $5.5M AAV per season.
There are so many reasons why Tavares will want to pack a U-Haul and bolt from the wreckage of the Islanders to greener pastures elsewhere.
The commute from Long Island to Brooklyn is brutal for JT and his teammates.
The ice surface at their arena has the density and and consistency that is equivalent to a pot of half-cooked oatmeal.
Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera were signed to fat UFA contracts last summer. Both players are not living up to high expectations.
Goaltending has always been the Achilles heel of the Isles and this season is no exception.
In recent seasons, Tavares, the Isles team captain, has seen his general manager Garth Snow strip the heart and soul from the Islanders. Snow traded away JT's great friend Matt Moulson. He failed to re-sign Thomas Vanek, who was traded for Moulson. Last summer, Snow opted to not re-sign granite pillars Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. Okposo signed a seven year contract with Buffalo. Nielsen signed a huge UFA deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Okposo and Nielsen each are representing their respective new teams at this weekend's NHL All Star Game.
Two weeks ago, Snow canned incumbent head coach Jack Capuano and replaced him with Doug Weight.
Despite the glass-half-full view in Brooklyn, Tavares says he is “excited about where the organization is headed.…
Playing with young Hipsters Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, and Adam Pelech is inviting for Tavares. The Isles also have young studs maturing in the incubator in Matthew Barzal, Josh Ho-Sang, Michael Dal Colle, and Ryan Pulock for Tavares to mentor in the near future.
Tavares is now 26 years of age. He continues to live up to his end of the bargain by scoring 19 goals and 40 points 47 games. His team hasn't qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons and are a serious long shot to earn a wild card berth this season.
The glass-half-full view is that Snow will have a ton of salary cap space this summer when Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, Jason Chimera, Thomas Hickey and Jaroslav Halak all become unrestricted free agents.
So, the future isn't as bad as the present and the recent past in Brooklyn.
Will Garth Snow be the general manager after this season?
Will the new team owners make the dramatic changes to the front office that have been intimated several times this season? Will Snow be turfed and replaced by NHL100 inductee and Isles legend Pat Lafontaine?
Tavares has scored 511 points in 557 career games with the Islanders.
Will he stay in Brooklyn?
Or, will he go home to Toronto? Or, reunite with Okposo and Moulson in Buffalo?
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On Friday night, Peter Forsberg was recognized as one of the NHL's Top 100 players of all time.
"Foppa" was arguably the best power forward to ever play in the NHL. He was the ideal blend of power, precision and virtuoso performance. Forsberg accomplished every personal and team goal and objective in his illustrious carer. He won two Stanley Cups with Colorado Avalanche, he won an Olympic gold medal for Team Sweden, and won the Calder, Art Ross, and Hart Trophy.
In 708 career NHL games, Forsberg scored 239 goals and 636 assists. His 885 carer regular season points were augmented by his 64 goals, 107 assists in 151 career NHL playoff games.
Forsberg shocked media members when he confided that if he had it to do all over again, he would want to return as Connor McDavid.
"I wish I could say Connor McDavid, but he's better at everything than I was," said the 2014 Hockey Hall Of Famer. "He (McDavid) skates faster. He sees the game. But I really enjoy seeing him play. He's everywhere on the ice, and he's making his team win. If I could start over I'd like to be like him."
Bromance alert.
High praise for McDavid from one of the best players ever to lace 'em up.
In 96 career games, McDavid has scored 33 goals and 74 assists.
The one aspect of Forsberg's game that McDavid should be envious of is his two Stanley Cup rings that came to him as a result of his ability to carry his teammates on his back in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
McDavid's Oilers will qualify for the Western Conference playoff later this spring. Will he have Forsberg-like leadership in production in the dog days of May and June?
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Mike Harrington of Th eBuffalo News is at the NHL All Star Weekend in Botox City.
On Friday night, Harrington caught up with Buffalo's three NHL100 club inductees: Gilbert Perreault, Dominik Hasek and Pat Lafontaine.
The Buffalo Sabres legends spoke glowingly of Jack Eichel, the boy who would be king of Buffalo.
Gilbert on Eichel:
"I love him. I love the way he plays," Perreault said. "He had a great goal the other night. I watched that on TV. Whoa. What a goal. He's got a great pair of hands, let me tell you. I love the way he plays the game because he learns very quickly. He's a great goal scorer. I saw him five years ago in Victoriaville, in a tournament in Quebec and I knew he had a lot of talent."
"You can't teach that. Those are special moves," LaFontaine said. "Those are what the next generation brings. I know guys like him watched a guy like Patty Kane and you grow another whole generation with guys like that."
Hasek on Jack:
"He's the one to become the man of the organization. He has to take responsiblity but he has to be healthy," Hasek said. "He's the one to take the team to the playoffs. This is his job. The Sabres right now depend on him and on him becoming a leader. He needs to play well."
Lafontaine on Jack:
"Now Eichel and Auston Matthews are the next generation." "You're proud to be in the NHL and part of that fraternity but there's also an American pride too. You want to see the growth continue in a young player like Eichel."
In 108 career NHL games, Eichel has socred 33 goals and 41 assists.
He's health and firing on cylinders right now. He has 12 goals and 9 assists in 27 games played after sitting out 21 games with a high ankle sprain suffered the day before the season opener.
The Sabres are 7-4-1 in their past 12 games since Eichel blew a gasket and called out himself and his teammates after two consecutive losses to the Boston Bruins.
The Sabres are seven points out of a playoff spot.
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The Buffalo Sabres were well represented at the NHL100 ceremony on Friday night when the NHL revealed it's top one hundred players of all time.
Congrats to our 1st overall draft pick Gilbert Perreault on being named to the #NHL100! pic.twitter.com/q98FKq6D28
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 28, 2017
Gilbert Perreault, Pat LaFontaine, and Dominik Hasek were bestowed with the high honor during the NHL100 ceremony on Friday night in Hockeywood.
Former Sabres captain Tim Horton was recognized on January one as of of the top 33 players in NHL history.
Perreault, Buffalo first ever draft choice in 1970, was chosen as one of eight centers representing the ear of the "1970s". Perreault was honored along with Philadelphia Flyer Bobby Clarke, Los Angeles Kings star Marcel Dionne, Boston Bruins and NY Rangers great Phil Esposito, Montreal Canadiens legend Jacques Lemaire, Chicago Blackhawks icon Stan Mikita, Boston Bruins and NY Rangers star Jean Ratelle and Toronto Maple Leaf legend Darryl Sittler.
LaFontaine was recognized as a center for the "1980s"era as the star center of the NY Islanders. Lafontaine was recognized alongside the greatest player to ever play in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky. Edmonton Oilers and NY Rangers heart and soul Mark Messier, Chicago Blackhawks star Denis Savard, Quebec Nordiques wizard Peter Stastny and NY Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins great Bryan Trottier were also feted as NHL100 players.
Buffalo Sabres Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek and Montreal Canadiens/Colorado Avalanche back bone were selected as the top goalies of "1990s" era Patrick Roy.
Perreault amassed 1,326 career points (512 goals, 814 assists). If you grew up in Western New York and you played road and ice hockey, the player you wanted to be was #11 Gilbert Perreault, who alongside Rick Martin and Rene Robert formed the famed "French Connection" line. Perreault won the 1970-71 Calder Trophy and the Lady Byng in 1972-73. Perreault was and still is a rock star in Buffalo.
Hasek was Ed Belfour's under study in Chicago and was traded to Buffalo in 1992 where he revolutionized the goaltending position with his own unique brand, techniques and improvisation. Hasek did everything humanly possible while wearing a Sabres sweater, however, he could not win a Stanley Cup which he did in Detroit. Hasek still is in second place on Buffalo's all-time list in wins with 234. He still owns the best GAA and SV% in Buffalo history with (2.22 and .926. Hasek had 55 career shutouts.
Check out Hasek's list of accomplishments:
1993-94 William M. Jennings Trophy 1993-94 Vezina Trophy 1994-95 Vezina Trophy 1996-97 Hart Memorial Trophy 1996-97 Lester B. Pearson Trophy 1996-97 Vezina Trophy 1997-98 Hart Memorial Trophy 1997-98 Lester B. Pearson Trophy 1997-98 Vezina Trophy 1998-99 Vezina Trophy 2000-01 William M. Jennings Trophy 2000-01 Vezina Trophy 2007-08 William M. Jennings Trophy
One of my favorite NHLers of all time was a humble, down to earth leader of men. A serious concussion limited Pat Lafontaine to just 268 games in Buffalo 1991-1997, however, he will always be admired and revered as being one of the most ferocious, passionate players to ever wear the crossed swords sweater. In 1995, Lafontaine scored 53 goals and 95 assists for 148 points. In 1992-93, he and Alexander Mogilny made magic and captured the hearts and minds of Sabre Nation when thny combined for 275 total points. Lafontaine's 148 points combined with Mogilny's 76 goals and 51 assists in 77 games played was next level stuff that won't be soon forgotten. Lafontaine was the little engine that could. He played 530 games with the NY Islanders and scored 54 goals in 1989-90. Lafontaine won the 1994-95 Bill Masterton Trophy.
La-la-lafontaine in LaLa land. ðŸ‘ðŸ¼ðŸ™‚ðŸ‘🼠#NHL100 pic.twitter.com/JHopKkvw0S
— NHL (@NHL) January 28, 2017
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I'm miffed that the NHL stiffed former Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets star Dale Hawerchuk. How does the NHL justify blowing off a guy who scored 518 goals and 891 assists in 1.188 career NHL games?
Hawerchuk scored 30+ goals ten different times during his illustrious 17-year NHL career.
I shake my head.
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Congratulations to former Sabres goalie Grant Fuhr for his inclusion in the NHL100
Congrats to Sabres alum Grant Fuhr on being named to #NHL100! pic.twitter.com/CNohF72tRC
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 28, 2017
Over a 10-year period, Grant Fuhr led the Oilers to five Stanley Cup championships between 1984 and 1990.
Fuhr also won the 1987-88 Vezina Trophy, and the 1993-94 William M. Jennings Trophy.