What's up with Tavares?

[A91]

Look I am a huge Barzal fan. But no denying that having
Lee - Tavares - Bailey aka one of the top lines in the NHL facing tougher competition is extremely beneficial to him.
Losing Tavares and expecting Barzal to not skip a beat is just unrealistic imo.

 

[Sweet Leaf]

Not Even close to true. Giroux is a winger this year by definition only. There's two centers on that line, Giroux still is very responsible defensively and has proven to be a far better defensive forward than Tavares his entire career. Giroux is also still the best Faceoff forward in the league. Couturier allows Giroux to be more creative offensively without worrying about the defense AS much.

Thanks for the info. However I think you underlined the point.

They have freed up Giroux by taking away some of the burdens of playing full time center ie faceoff and defensive responsibilities.

This is probably because Giroux struggled last year with 14 goals, 53 points in 82 games as a full time center. His worst year in many.

The Islanders haven't done this with Tavares nor do i think it's even a conversation. He's not struggling and looking like he's in decline like Giroux did last year.

 

[Siignal]

I don't know if this is the right thread, but is there any way a team like Calgary could reasonably acquire Tavares at the end of the season? I'm unfamiliar with our cap situation, but I'd imagine that if we had Tavares/Monahan/Backlund as our 1/2/3 we'd be able to begin to fill around that with our youth? Would it require buying out someone like Troy Brouwer? Stajan's contract is also expiring so that might deal with our logjam.

Feel like that'd require trading Fox/Andersson+ for a winger though.

 

[FourRings]

He's been bad all year. Don't let his point totals fool you. This contract thing is weighing him down in my opinion.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

And people thought he was better than Giroux...lol

He is, but most Islander Fans do not pollute threads about Giroux with this crap. How many points would Claude put up with a defense that could not get out of its own zone?

 

[Newsworthy]

Tavares is a very streaky player. He stRted off the year really hot let's see how he ends it.

 

[IamNotADancer]

A player of his talent should not have these problems UNLESS his head and heart is not in it.

I know I'm supposed to hate anything Islanders related but life is too short for hate so I can only feel bad for the fans. It's a bad situation throughout if he doesn't re-sign

 

[Oddbob]

He's been "coming" to Toronto "soon" since 2009

Fair point, but now he is "coming" "coming" to Toronto soon!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I’m pretty sure he’s playing injured. I’m not sure the coaching staff is aware of it or not. He frequently has quiet stretches of 2-3 weeks but this is like 6-8 at this point. Wouldn’t surprise me if they fall out of it totally in the next week if he ends up going on IR if he truly is injured. There’s a point where either he or the coaching staff will say you’ve done enough to try and keep us in this just sit this out now

I don't know if I buy the injury excuse. If Tavares IS hurt and could potentially make the injury worse by continuing to play, it makes ZERO sense for him to keep playing when he's currently got no contract for next year and beyond.

Playing hurt does nothing to help his contract situation. At best, it hurts his ability to put up good stats. At worst, it could make whatever injury even worse and affect him going forward.

 

[CREW99AW]

Oh man. Isles fans are ripping him. Saying he isn’t a C or worth 10 million etc. Is he really bad now, or is it more of a seperation because they think they can’t sign him anyway?

The complaints have been around for a few seasons. Are 70+ points really elite production, his overstaying shifts, his undisciplined retaliatory penalties .

Do not get me wrong.
Almost all the posters I have been following on the nyi board want him back, but not if it cost a blank check.

$10m- $11m per? Yes.
$12m'$13m eh not as many

Surprised by how many wanted him moved at the last TDL .

 

[Legion34]

The complaints have been around for a few seasons. Are 70+ points really elite production, his overstaying shifts, his undisciplined retaliatory penalties .

Do not get me wrong.
Almost all the posters I have been following on the nyi board want him back, but not if it cost a blank check.

$10m- $11m per? Yes.
$12m'$13m eh not as many

Surprised by how many wanted him moved at the last TDL .

I can see that as a fair price point. He can’t ask for more than mcdavid. If he does. Good luck.

I guess I am only comparing the beginning of the year to now. It’s quite the difference. But he was hot so it would make sense that these are long standing issues flaring up.

I don’t even think Montreal will offer him 13. That’s nuts

 

[CREW99AW]

I can see that as a fair price point. He can’t ask for more than mcdavid. If he does. Good luck.

I guess I am only comparing the beginning of the year to now. It’s quite the difference. But he was hot so it would make sense that these are long standing issues flaring up.

I don’t even think Montreal will offer him 13. That’s nuts

There was a report earlier this season, I think from Dreger, saying he thought a team might offer as much as $15m per in July.

 

[Legion34]

There was a report earlier this season, I think from Dreger, saying he thought a team might offer as much as $15m per in July.

Welll that’s a terrible idea. Good luck to them

 

[BobbyShehan]

Snow won't give him the term and the $$$ some other teams are ready to give him. He obviously gets the info from Brisson so I'm assuming his head is already elsewhere otherwise he's considering staying put at a lesser price. Either way, it's a little distracting for anybody. The Isles are a better team than the Leafs were when Kessel was playing there or what the Habs are now (for a guy like Pacioretty). So his decision is harder. I'm sure he loves living in the area. It's a shitload of pressure on him, whether conscious or not.

 

[norwegianislander]

Don't read to much into the stats of JT this year. He's points are there, but he is not. Losing every puck battle, turnovers, bad passing and even slower then before. Something is of with him, but he has carried this shitty team on is his back for so many seasons now that we Isles fans believe he can do it again and again.

This is all on Snow and Weight. Snow should have built a team around him, he has failed soooo bad at it, I don't even understands how JT could even consider Isles as a option on 1 July. And then Weight comes in with the coaching style than works for a couple of months and then the New coach smell goes and the system looks like a pile of shit.

If Ledecky and Malkin don't take actions the day after the regular season has ended , I see nothing but darkness for this Mickey mouse franchise. Sorry ,this got long and angry and of topic....

 

[CREW99AW]

Snow won't give him the term and the $$$ some other teams are ready to give him. He obviously gets the info from Brisson so I'm assuming his head is already elsewhere otherwise he's considering staying put at a lesser price. Either way, it's a little distracting for anybody. The Isles are a better team than the Leafs were when Kessel was playing there or what the Habs are now (for a guy like Pacioretty). So his decision is harder. I'm sure he loves living in the area. It's a ****load of pressure on him, whether conscious or not.

So the nyi owners are willing to invest major $ ( along with several others), in a billion dollar arena deal,but will not come across with money to pay their franchise center?
Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?

 

[PuckItUp27]

So the nyi owners are willing to invest major $ ( along with several others), in a billion dollar arena deal,but will not come across with money to pay their franchise center?
Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?

I love JT but he is NOT an $11-12+ mil /year player. Absolutely not. If he is looking for Mcdavid money I hope he walks. He is not even close to on the same level as Mcdavid and if he gets $13mil/yr then what does Barzal get in a couple of years? $15 mil? He will outscore JT every year from here on out. JT is now the 2nd best player on the Islanders.

 

[Section32]

pains some people to see the Isles have a legit young franchise center at age 20. If not for busted knee cap in junior #13 was on a top 5 radar as far as picks. Heck some were flirting as saying it was the Mcdavid or Barzal draft. Barzal has done some things in his rookie year that has not been done for decades.

Oh no doubt.

And even though I may not like the Islanders, this isn't the 80's or 90's.

In fact, I happen to like most of the players on the team, some very much so. Social media has truly changed things in that way...unless you are Brad Marchand, who I dislike even more after reading his media banter.

From what I see of the kid, and I am lucky enough to watch him a lot, he is going to be a true star.

However, I still stand behind my point.

I just don't like placing players in top tiers, (especially those saying he is generational), before his first NHL season is even completed.

The same goes for McDavid and all the awards he has already won. I like to see a guy maintaining or continuing to grow (from an elite start), at least 30 games into their fourth season.

When you have a kid playing NHL game 320, and he is still "all that," he has earned his place.

Just my opinion.

I haven't seen too many Barzals on the Rangers over the decades, but I have certainly thought in a good handful of cases that NYR had a true gem on their hands, only to have that player fade away, have an injury change his career trajectory, end a career, die or have that player reach star status only after being traded away...from Middleton to Zubov, from Weight to Miller/Ridley to Nordstrom. Marc Savard, Dahlen, Beezer (forced), Kovalev and Amonte.

 

[LordNeverLose]

Snow was never gonna trade him at the deadline. That'd have been the end of his job, regardless of whether it would have been the right move or not.

But think if they'd traded Bailey for a 1st + prospect + and JT for whatever the hell he would've fetch (a ton). Isles could've been set up for an actually quick rebuild instead of the decade+ one they're currently in.


All that being said, I think if JT re-signs (and I feel WAY less confident about that than I did a month ago), I think the Isles are in a good position. They already have one of the best top6's in the league, including 2 1C's. Add a top-pair dman (tough to find), a couple bottom 6 players (easy to find), and a goalie (IMO just need a 1b type to play with Halak) and they'd be a a sure-fire playoff team with potential to make a run.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

I'm not sure if the Isles have the cap but Tavares and Carlson are probably needed for the Isles to have a chance at a playoff run next year. I know all teams have some regrets in some their signings but gee Ladd and Boychuk might really hampered future signings.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

There was a report earlier this season, I think from Dreger, saying he thought a team might offer as much as $15m per in July.

If a team offers him that (it wouldn't surprise me if one did), I think that's going to be a huge mistake. Tavares isn't a $15 million player. If you're making that much, you CAN'T disappear as much, and for as prolonged stretches as he does.

Tavares at $15 million will be even worse than Toews at $10.5 million.

 

[CREW99AW]

I love JT but he is NOT an $11-12+ mil /year player. Absolutely not. If he is looking for Mcdavid money I hope he walks. He is not even close to on the same level as Mcdavid and if he gets $13mil/yr then what does Barzal get in a couple of years? $15 mil? He will outscore JT every year from here on out. JT is now the 2nd best player on the Islanders.

Ledecky has made a statement that they will extend Tavares. Obviously , the isles cannot force Tavares to sign an extension, but they can decide that they will not be outbid, that they are much stronger with Tavares/Barzal as their top two then Barzal/Beau as their top two centers.

Staple said months ago, that if Tavares agrees to an extension, the isles will have little leverage to balk at his demands.

 

[CREW99AW]

If a team offers him that (it wouldn't surprise me if one did), I think that's going to be a huge mistake. Tavares isn't a $15 million player. If you're making that much, you CAN'T disappear as much, and for as prolonged stretches as he does.

Tavares at $15 million will be even worse than Toews at $10.5 million.

I agree and I have made the statement on the nyi boatd, that I would not be surprised to see the isles badly overpay Tavares.
I am not saying they offer $15m, but 8 yrs/ $13m per would not surprise me.

 

[ALEXIVICH CHULKATURI]

One of the more overrated players in the nhl today. His foam st the mouth supporters will tell you it's the GM, if that doesn't stick then then it's the coach, no, then it's his linemates, no, then it's his impending contract, still no. Truth of the matter is he was never touched by the hand of a God in regards to his skating skills nor his shot nor his body size. He excelled cause of the size of his HEART. And even that is eroding or it is at least this year. I personally don't think he's going to be in the NHL by 34 let alone thrive. To keep him an Islander I'd offer him 5 years 40 million and even in that is sort of ludicrous considering his play since January 1.

 

[Newsworthy]

JT points are there this year but so are Lees,Baileys, Eberle.
Right now Tavares is as much a part of the problem as they are.
He's complaining to the ref last night when he clearly highsticked the puck in the zone. He looks frustrated. Hes a team guy who hates to lose. I doubt he's even thinking about free agency. He's making bad decisions not what we are accustomed to from such a heady player.
I haven't seen him stand out in a long time. He's been overshadowed by Barzal and without Matt this team would really be bad. And that's pretty sad.
Yeah our defense and goaltending stink.