Tavares Discussion Thread

[LeafGrief]

Tavares is an excellent player and signing him was 100% the right move. We're happy to have him.

But he's really had a big problem taking his game to the next level this year. Last year he was still able to take over games and be the guy to put the team on his back. That's what we're paying him 11m for and life was good. This year he just hasn't been able to put the team on his back for a full game. He'll still have dominant shifts here and there, I thought he was great in the first last night (along with the rest of the team) but he's struggling to be that 11m superstar that we're paying for.

Fortunately, he's been steadily improving from the start of the year. He was awful but picking it up when he was hurt, and has been trending upwards since his return. Three goals in two games against Buffalo so the guy deserves his kudos. It may not be enough to salvage this tragedy of a season, but there is no reason that he won't be an elite and dominant force again by mid-January.

 

[Stephen]

I don’t think it was incorrect to sign him, but he’s had a poor season relative to last year, though statistically similar to his average NYI years and seems like he would be better cast as a quiet and respected A than the captain of the team. He’s so even keeled and we need CPR to start games.

 

[TopCheese]

Tavares in is always a huge amount of asset value.

If we don't sign Tavares, we have Kadri still*. But we don't have center depth, and we don't have anyone made redundant that we can use as a trade asset. We have cap space, but who would we use it on? It's not like there has been a huge missed opportunity on defense on the market. Extend JvR or Gardiner? They have both been brutal this season. So maybe we end up with a better backup, and another d-man who would, at best, is not be a difference maker.

Any time you get the chance to add that kind of talent, you take it. If you want to make the case that we could use that quality elsewhere, then trade Marner for a young stud on defense of a similar age. Having him allowed us that opportunity, if we wanted to take it.

* I wouldn't be so sure. If you assume the suspensions still happen, that'll continue to be an issue. Even worse, there are reports that the team was so pissed at him that they didn't even want him in the locker room.

Josi and pietrangelo are both ufa this summer and would be far more helpful to the team than another Center would be

 

[CelticDruid]

Maybe we can trade him to the Islanders for some pieces

"We don't need you"

 

[saffronleaf]

"We don't need you"

yea they don't need him but maybe for like a 3rd round pick and salary retained they can take him back?

or do we have to sweeten the pot? happy to throw in matthews he'll win you a couple of games in October.

 

[ACC1224]

Josi and pietrangelo are both ufa this summer and would be far more helpful to the team than another Center would be

If last summer motto was 'we can and we will', this summers will be 'wish we could but we can't' .

 

[Buds17]

Josi and pietrangelo are both ufa this summer and would be far more helpful to the team than another Center would be

Not Josi. He re-signed with Nashville. Time will tell if Pietrangelo is a viable option like Tavares ended up being.

 

[lorwood]

Maybe we can trade him to the Islanders for some pieces

Will take a pass.

JT had long spells of disappearance on the ice every year as an Islander but as he was the only player in the entire organization he got a pass. There were moments when he could carry the team and they were great but they never occurred on those rare Islander playoff appearances.

We will stick with Barzal's and Beauviller's future. JT is in the past.

 

[saffronleaf]

Will take a pass.

JT had long spells of disappearance on the ice every year as an Islander but as he was the only player in the entire organization he got a pass. There were moments when he could carry the team and they were great but they never occurred on those rare Islander playoff appearances.

We will stick with Barzal's and Beauviller's future. JT is in the past.

We'll throw in Matthews to sweeten the pot

 

[hotpaws]

Will take a pass.

JT had long spells of disappearance on the ice every year as an Islander but as he was the only player in the entire organization he got a pass. There were moments when he could carry the team and they were great but they never occurred on those rare Islander playoff appearances.

We will stick with Barzal's and Beauviller's future. JT is in the past.

the problem wasn't that you simply give him a pass but that he was overly catered too and got all the glory for any success and none of the blame for any of the failure which i doubt went over well in the locker room

JT is great down low/around the net but the rest of his game is meh due to his lack of speed , so he'll puts up points but can't control the flow of the game which greatly reduces his impact .

 

[Stephen]

the problem wasn't that you simply give him a pass but that he was overly catered too and got all the glory for any success and none of the blame for any of the failure which i doubt went over well in the locker room

JT is great down low/around the net but the rest of his game is meh due to his lack of speed , so he'll puts up points but can't control the flow of the game which greatly reduces his impact .

Pretty much.

 

[6ix]

Waste of 11 mill. If we didn’t have Matthews and Kadri already sure, but that money could of gone towards defence, and Naz was already a perfect 2nd line centre. Nothing exciting about his game, he’s too slow to control a game in today’s NHL.

 

[ORRFForever]

He NEEDS Marner. Make it so.

 

[MattySnipes]

He hasn't been good, but he's one guy I'm giving a break to. He was tremendous last season, started this year off a bit slow then broke his finger, lost his linemate, etc. He also welcomed his first child so he's a man, dealing with manly responsibilities. He'll come around. I'd still sign him long-term today too. Don't regret that move, no matter how bad it's looked this season.

 

[HolyCrap]

He’s not the player he was lastyear. He seems to have gotten slower and lost some drive. Maybe it’s mental knowing he’s on a far worse team than what he left. He’s the captain now and would look real bad asking for a trade. He may just feel stuck between a rock and hard place. It’s hard to say and I’m just spitballing. I have no clue.

 

[ORRFForever]

In hindsight, we also overpaid for Tavares.

Gee, overpaying for players... where have I heard that before?

 

[TML Dynasty]

If any of our 'stars' were playing how they should this season id be harder on Tavares. But our dressing room seems like a complete clusterf*** so Ill give them time to come out of this rut. He at least seems to be trying and battling in contrast to those other 'stars'

 

[ORRFForever]

If any of our 'stars' were playing how they should this season id be harder on Tavares. But our dressing room seems like a complete clusterf*** so Ill give them time to come out of this rut. He at least seems to be trying and battling in contrast to those other 'stars'

He's doing fine but not fine enough for someone making $11M. He's aged quickly. He's slow and sometimes I forget that he is only 29. He needs young legs around him - see Marner.

 

[Green]

Will take a pass.

JT had long spells of disappearance on the ice every year as an Islander but as he was the only player in the entire organization he got a pass. There were moments when he could carry the team and they were great but they never occurred on those rare Islander playoff appearances.

really? you must be forgetting the 2016 playoffs against the Panthers

 

[SI90]

really? you must be forgetting the 2016 playoffs against the Panthers

he was awesome that series but Greiss was equally the reason the islanders won.

 

[saffronleaf]

He hasn't been good, but he's one guy I'm giving a break to. He was tremendous last season, started this year off a bit slow then broke his finger, lost his linemate, etc. He also welcomed his first child so he's a man, dealing with manly responsibilities. He'll come around. I'd still sign him long-term today too. Don't regret that move, no matter how bad it's looked this season.

You're right. I think I was just more pissed off that everyone was piling on Matthews while our captain JT hasn't done all that much this season.

But JT will contribute and it's a signing we'll be happy about

 

[Critical13]

One thing the top teams in the league never do is vastly overspend on UFAs. Boston only has 1 (Backes), St. Louis might have one in Faulk but we will see. Tampa is loaded with only good contracts. Washington has no big overpays.

 

[doublechili]

Tavares does not play the classic Center position. The best I could figure during his time with the Isles is that he's more like a RW playing the C position. So he's best when playing with a RW who plays like a C (Bailey, Marner).

 

[Twowingcantfly]

I don’t think it was incorrect to sign him, but he’s had a poor season relative to last year, though statistically similar to his average NYI years and seems like he would be better cast as a quiet and respected A than the captain of the team. He’s so even keeled and we need CPR to start games.

Really? Why would a team that has no problem filling the net, need another one dimensional net filler??

 

[Stephen]

Tavares does not play the classic Center position. The best I could figure during his time with the Isles is that he's more like a RW playing the C position. So he's best when playing with a RW who plays like a C (Bailey, Marner).

Tavares is like a much better JVR with a touch of Hyman in a lot of ways. Touch around the net with an appetite to grind.