#NYI #isles Some corrections. Leddy's minus rating approached record from 2004, not Tavares. Also Tavares was on ice for 113 goals against up from 78 the previous year but 26 on PK. Erik Karlsson led NHL with Cody Cici at being on ice for most goals allowed at 121.
— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 17, 2018
Recently I wrote here could live with Tavares signing/not signing either way & it's only eight years, but there is so much downside to these kind of signings.
Cannot recall any that end up with a Stanley Cup, and the later years are usually not good.
I do look at Tavares down the road (three years if no injuries) and see what we are getting from Andrew Ladd right now when he was healthy a year ago.
I know the ownership/management/players/fans want him back regardless, but honestly for myself it's time to save the money for faster players, and who they will need to resign like Lee, Barzal moving forward for the money they are going to want.
Tavares has plenty of downside already. He was a good team player and embraced the penalty kill role when Capuano put him on it last season, it's not about the kind of person he is, because only he can speak to that with everyone who knows how bad he wants to win.
But lets not pull punches, other teams have dominating players you see be the best player for their teams almost every game. John Tavares was invisible (beyond overtime) almost every game despite his point totals, and it's fair to write he was not the best player on his own team over sixty minutes.
His skating was terrible all season, he was on the ice 113 goals allowed (121 was the most) in the NHL, and often he was seen getting beat in front of his own goalie, and his skating is not going to improve, he has scoring hands, and play-making skills, he will have those moving forward, it will be painful to see him elsewhere because he's going to get his numbers.
Perhaps being a captain is also too much for him (it was for Clark Gillies) he clearly did not look very happy this season or he was playing hurt, or the constant contract drumbeat was too much. He made clear on 2/26 he could sign by the end of the season with or without playoffs. This team has no real media like 29 other teams (with Devils) the attendance beat many Coliseum seasons and still an undefeated team at home living on 5-4, 4-3, 6-5 wins were last in attendance during the regular season with Tavares into December.
But I do see letting him go as the correct decision for someone who's going to want 10-12+ million to be on the ice for far too many goals against, who's skating is not going to improve.
Yashin on one leg his final season made the playoffs with 50 points in 58 games, and was on a 90 point pace with Jason Blake/Chris Simon as his wingers when he got hurt.
Of course I think the coaching here was a big part of his problems last season but he was either too slow, or whatever system, strategy Weight employed (and he looked miserable at end when Weight wanted to make Barzal his center) did not work for him or his team as they kept facing more & more shots against & were so easy to play against.
Weight is all he's ever known here from the day he was drafted.
Colorado is surviving without Duchene, he got his wish to be sent to a playoff team, but that did not work out, so he's watching his old team participate instead. No one is laughing at Joe Sakic today, his team seemed to grow from that trade.
Maybe this is not the right team for him or he needs two Barzal-like players on his wings, who can open the ice for him despite Lee/Bailey numbers. It's not the right coaching for him (or anyone) for him to be on the ice for 113 goals, which would be my one reason for giving him another chance with an experienced coach who can improve his overall game.
We know owners/management want him back at all cost, I do not get a vote, but for myself given last season I would let him go elsewhere based on how he played.
I want Snow gone and did after last season because he had a fair amount of time to produce a winner, and his team took a step back after last season. Based on Snow's comments he wants to resign Tavares but as always if he has his final number he knows when to let the player go elsewhere.
For myself I agreed with Snow every time he let a player walk or they signed elsewhere. Those players to date have not lived up to the contracts they signed. Okposo, Nielsen, Parenteau I, Moulson, Vanek I-II who turned him down, Boyes, MacDonald.
But this is not about Snow, this is my call. This is not a 10-12 million dollar player who dominates games, his skating is not going to improve. We saw Parise walk from Devils, signed with Suter and for 200 million they have not won a thing or come close, this seems to be the trend.
I like what they have in Barzal, Beauvillier, Eberle, Lee, Bailey hopefully Bellows, Toews, Pulock, and maybe Dal Colle, or Ho-Sang give them something. Ladd/Nelson may do better with an experienced coach. They have two first rounders coming.
A few years ago this team received praise for being one of the toughest to play against, now they are mocked for being one of the easiest to play against, who set records for goals allowed, shots against, penalty killing, who's goaltender gave them a career season and kept 35-37-10 from being with or below Buffalo.
It may or may not start with Tavares but he was responsible as captain.
I want to know why Tavares did not carry his team like Hall does for New Jersey, why he's not giving them what Crosby or Ovechkin does. For the money he will want he must be a visible, impact player who puts a team on his back every game.
The best player on the ice.
Instead he was invisible most games, don't tell me about one overtime highlight vs Flyers, who's best players carry that team between their long winning/losing streaks.
Who saw that from Tavares last season, who saw it at his absolute best when they were one minute from losing game six vs Florida, where was he vs Tampa to extend those 3rd period leads?
10-12 million, someone better ask some very hard questions. Those two lefts and a right to practice produced nine regulation wins at Coliseum in 2013-14.