If John Tavares Leaves... Does Garth Snow get fired?

[pucky]

Tavares wants to sign with a Cup-contending team. The Isles aren't bad but their D is atrocious and statistically, ranks among the worst. So, Snow really is bargaining on Tavares being content on the Island. I suspect the Leafs and Lightning will make serious pitches for him and there might be another team or two who will try a serious push. I agree with other fans, is Tavares liking everything enough there and does he have confidence that Snow can do something about the D and bring in a couple more top forwards because after Barzal, he probably would want a little extra (to work with).

 

[JT Kreider]

Tavares wants to sign with a Cup-contending team. The Isles aren't bad but their D is atrocious and statistically, ranks among the worst. So, Snow really is bargaining on Tavares being content on the Island. I suspect the Leafs and Lightning will make serious pitches for him and there might be another team or two who will try a serious push. I agree with other fans, is Tavares liking everything enough there and does he have confidence that Snow can do something about the D and bring in a couple more top forwards because after Barzal, he probably would want a little extra (to work with).

If Snow couldn't surround Tavares with enough talent to be a contender when he was on the biggest bargain contract in the league.. Why would JT have any confidence in Snow to do that that when his contract is doubled?

Tavares would have to be the most loyal guy in the world to extend with the Isles

 

[pucky]

I'm not sure Tavares should be re-signed. In a league that is just getting faster and faster. Despite the respectable stats JT has put up this year. He has been very ordinary of late. From an asset management view point. A slowing 28 year old skater next season signed to a long term contract may not be the wisest thing.

Snow should be fired he didn't get any assets for JT, amongst other factors.

That's a reasonable argument. As good as JT is, sometimes you have to consider the possibilities in terms of the negative: not long ago, everyone was raving about Carey Price (who was called the best goaltender in the world). This year he has been ordinary (albeit, on a bad team with an allegedly, bad GM - okay, most Habs fans would say, 'not allegedly') and many conclude that the contract he has is way too expensive and that he's been overrated. Some fans even have discussed the feasibility of trading him (who would have cap space; who would make such a deal and who would go after him considering his cap hit etc.).

Thus, sometimes, you have to be careful and re-evaluate your reliance on 'past performance' and look at the present and possible future performance?

 

[pucky]

If Snow couldn't surround Tavares with enough talent to be a contender when he was on the biggest bargain contract in the league.. Why would JT have any confidence in Snow to do that that when his contract is doubled?

Tavares would have to be the most loyal guy in the world to extend with the Isles

I assume you have a better idea (than I do) as you have followed the Isles all season and know this (stuff)? So, you expect him to sign with another team? What would that mean, not just for Snow but for the move to a new arena and the PR/promotion of the organization? Would that be a serious hit or would they try to market Barzal as the 'new future star' and does that mean Snow is fired, for certain? I would think he is gone if he doesn't sign - so I would bet that the answer to the OP's question is a resounding yes. How else does he keep his job? Snow must have the confidence but will JT have that mutual confidence in the team/in Snow?

 

[JianYang]

If the Isles didn't feel confident about the prospects of re-signing JT, he would have been moved by now. Having said that, if he doesn't re-sign, then someone has to take the fall, and it will probably be the GM.

Really though, its only a slim chance IMO that JT leaves. If JT really wanted to leave, he would have requested a trade, and if the Isles didn't feel like they had the resources to retain him, then they would have moved him on their own accord.

The fact that none of those things happened has to make to you believe there is some achievable common ground. Assuming no unforeseen events occur between now and the summer, JT will remain an Islander.

 

[aufheben]

What seller ended up cashing out at the trade deadline exactly?

Stastny, Nash, Kane - typical 1st/2nd + prospect nobody knows type of deals. Trading Tavares for a package like that would have been much worse than keeping him around.

Your Rangers move the biggest asset in McDonagh, and pretty much the universal consensus is that Yzerman took the Rangers to the cleaners, keeping Point & Sergachev and even getting JT Miller back.

Guys like Mike Green didn't even end up getting traded. Anticipating the huge, amazing, franchise-saving returns we could have gotten for Tavares and/or Bailey that we squandered isn't based at all in reality, it's based in predictions and assumptions of what could have happened during a year where buyers were only parting with expendable assets.

The Rangers had a great deadline. Losing those players for nothing would have been devastating.

 

[Bood12]

I am predicting Snow is going to resign if Tavares is going to leave, it might be a mutual thing where he will probably be let go but they will allow him to resign in order to save his face, probably why if the Islanders were going to change GM's they should have done it way before the trade deadline, because the reality is Snow is not looking at the long term future of the team, he is looking at his future and the short term future, a new GM could have looked at the situation and see Tavares would probably not re-sign, or it might not be worth it to sign him at a 12X8 deal anyway and traded him along with Bailey and perhaps others and stock up on the future, where Snow is just looking at his tenure and his job hanging on a leash and hoping Tavares is going to re-sign in order to make himself look better and have him keep his job, having Tavares walk for nothing could set this franchise back about a decade.

 

[Soundwave]

If the Isles didn't feel confident about the prospects of re-signing JT, he would have been moved by now. Having said that, if he doesn't re-sign, then someone has to take the fall, and it will probably be the GM.

Really though, its only a slim chance IMO that JT leaves. If JT really wanted to leave, he would have requested a trade, and if the Isles didn't feel like they had the resources to retain him, then they would have moved him on their own accord.

The fact that none of those things happened has to make to you believe there is some achievable common ground. Assuming no unforeseen events occur between now and the summer, JT will remain an Islander.

If he wanted to stay that bad he would've signed an extension already IMO.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Come accelerate the rebuild on Broadway after we land Dahlin, Johnny!

 

[WangMustGo]

Come accelerate the rebuild on Broadway after we land Dahlin, Johnny!

If Tavares is leaving it's for a team in win now mode. A team like Nashville would be perfect for him.

 

[Iceman]

He should get fired either way.

 

[GKJ]

Hard to fire a GM during the off-season.


But if anyone can do it, it's the Islanders.

 

[JianYang]

If he wanted to stay that bad he would've signed an extension already IMO.

Sure, he could have. Stamkos could have done that too, but he didn't sign with the lightning until ufa time rolled around.

I think its all part of negotiations. Tavares can leverage the ufa chip to get a better deal for himself. I think he will stay in NYI, but like alot of guys in the NHL, and really in this world, you want to make sure you dont leave too much money on the table either.

 

[Price is Wright]

Sure, he could have. Stamkos could have done that too, but he didn't sign with the lightning until ufa time rolled around.

I think its all part of negotiations. Tavares can leverage the ufa chip to get a better deal for himself. I think he will stay in NYI, but like alot of guys in the NHL, and really in this world, you want to make sure you get paid as much as possible in whatever scenario you choose to be in too.

I don't see this as leverage. He's always had leverage. He could have taken a huge contract last time but instead opted for the best value contract in the league. If he wants $15M per year he's gonna get it.

Maybe the Isles miss the playoffs and Tavares tells Wang to replace Snow or he walks?

 

[Filthy Dangles]

If Tavares is leaving it's for a team in win now mode. A team like Nashville would be perfect for him.

Probably. Could still dream. Don't think he'd f*** the islanders like that and go to the Rangers though

 

[JianYang]

I don't see this as leverage. He's always had leverage. He could have taken a huge contract last time but instead opted for the best value contract in the league. If he wants $15M per year he's gonna get it.

Maybe the Isles miss the playoffs and Tavares tells Wang to replace Snow or he walks?

In Stamkos case, I don't think he ever wanted to leave. He wanted to stay in Tampa, but try to get the most he could in that circumstance.

Tavares will cost a higher premium because the isles are not the lightning, but same type of strategy is being employed IMO.

 

[WangMustGo]

Probably. Could still dream. Don't think he'd **** the islanders like that and go to the Rangers though

I couldn't see it either. But than again who knows what he has planned, if he wants to win he should leave the island.

 

[Price is Wright]

In Stamkos case, I don't think he ever wanted to leave. He wanted to stay in Tampa, but try to get the most he could in that circumstance.

Tavares will cost a higher premium because the isles are not the lightning, but same type of strategy is being employed IMO.

The difference is Yzerman. Yzerman was steadfast in not wanting to pay Stamkos more than $8.5m. Stamkos wanted more, but didn't want to leave Tampa. He decided it was better to stay at $8.5M than leave for more.

That's not the situation with Tavares in Long Island. At least I hope not.

 

[JianYang]

The difference is Yzerman. Yzerman was steadfast in not wanting to pay Stamkos more than $8.5m. Stamkos wanted more, but didn't want to leave Tampa. He decided it was better to stay at $8.5M than leave for more.

That's not the situation with Tavares in Long Island. At least I hope not.

Whatever the factors happened to be, Stamkos got the most money he could get out of tampa. I believe that was his goal. That's where I draw the parallel with JT. I think he wants to stay, but he wants to make sure that he doesn't leave any free money lying around.

Things don't add up for it to be a different situation. He's too big a of a piece to just risk going into the summer without a contract unless you feel very good about your prospects of re-signing him. Now, if the isles are playing russian roulette and really aren't too certain about JT's plans, then that's just gross incompetence, and I dont think any GM anywhere is dumb enough to go down that road

 

[Price is Wright]

Whatever the factors happened to be, Stamkos got the most money he could get out of tampa. I believe that was his goal. That's where I draw the parallel with JT. I think he wants to stay, but he wants to make sure that he doesn't leave any free money lying around.

Things don't add up for it to be a different situation. He's too big a of a piece to just risk going into the summer without a contract unless you feel very good about your prospects of re-signing him. Now, if the isles are playing russian roulette and really aren't too certain about JT's plans, then that's just gross incompetence, and I dont think any GM anywhere is dumb enough to go down that road

It's a huge difference.

The Islanders have made it pretty clear, as clear as they could, that they will spend whatever it takes to keep Tavares.
Steve Yzerman made it clear he had a limit to what he would pay Stamkos and if he didn't like it he could walk.

Until I hear that the Islanders have a limit to what they will sign Tavares for and he wants more, it's nowhere near the same situation.

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

Come accelerate the rebuild on Broadway after we land Dahlin, Johnny!

They are my favorites, FWIW.

Namestnikov ($3.75M/2 yrs)-Tavares ($10.5M/8 yrs)-Zucc
Spooner ($3M/ 2 yrs)-Zibanejad-Buchnevich
Vesey ($1.8M/2 yrs)-Hayes-Fast
Chytil-Carey-Lettieri
Holland Nieves

Klefbom-Shattenkirk
Skjei-Deangelo
Staal-Pionk
Kampfer

$1.4 million left. The only trade needed is Kreider for a young LHD who can play in the top four/top pair; Klefbom fits that description, but there might be a better deal out there.

 

[JianYang]

It's a huge difference.

The Islanders have made it pretty clear, as clear as they could, that they will spend whatever it takes to keep Tavares.
Steve Yzerman made it clear he had a limit to what he would pay Stamkos and if he didn't like it he could walk.

Until I hear that the Islanders have a limit to what they will sign Tavares for and he wants more, it's nowhere near the same situation.

The only difference that makes is in tavares' bargaining power relative to stamkos, to which we know a higher premium is required to retain JT. It does not change what tavares' intentions would be, which is what we are talking about.

 

[Spartachat]

Travares will visit Toronto just before the free agency period begins and then will change his mind. He will then sign a 8.5 m AAV contract for 8 years. Snow will be considered a genius.

 

[paragon]

It's not like Snow can force him to re-sign.

 

[Goleafsgo95]

He's had a long leash, I think that may be the last straw.