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If it took so long, why not wait as long as possible?
John Tavares continued to put the sand in the hourglass Friday night, having not yet signed a contract with the Islanders.
The captain has until Saturday midnight to sign a new contract or he will become a free agent when the clock arrives on July 1. From here, the Islanders can only offer a seven-year contract, just like the rest of the league. Therefore, if he has not signed by then, it will probably be his goodbye to the Islanders.
Tavares will be 28 years old when the season begins, and he has had a lot to weigh in the past few days. He spent the first part of the week in Los Angeles at his agent's office, listening to free throws from the Sharks, Maple Leafs, Lightning, Stars and Bruins. He also listens to the Islanders, the only franchise he's known since they've drafted it with the # 1 pick in 2009.
But the franchise has changed a lot since, really, a little in the last weeks. On May 22, senior owner Scott Malkin and his associate Jon Ledecky hired legendary Lou Lamoriello to direct all hockey operations. Within two weeks, he relieved General Manager Garth Snow and neophyte coach Doug Weight of their duties. On June 21, Lamoriello was allowed to offer an expensive contract to coach Barry Trotz, just days away from the Stanley Cup win behind the Capitals bench.
To top it off, the Islanders had what was perceived taking Oliver Wahlstrom, Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde, all below their projected slots, to replenish their pool of exhausted prospects.
Malkin and Ledecky also got the rights to build a new arena at Belmont Park, which will open in 2021-22 season.
But apparently, all this has not yet convinced Tavares to reconnect with the Islanders. Nor does it seem that the number of real contracts is a problem either, with a supposed transaction worth $ 11 to $ 12 million a year, coming from Islanders or elsewhere. There is a chance that the Leafs are offering close to a one year contract, about $ 16 million, but it seems wacky Tavares would give up as much security.
After nine years in the league and a lot of achievements, Tavares certainly Lamoriello said the same during the repechage: "I think he deserved all the possible choices," said Lamoriello last Saturday. Dallas. "The most important thing is that we hope the decision is to be an islander."
The decision will also color how Lamoriello approaches the free agency. While there are some backup plans, but the exchanges for Ryan O 'Reilly Sabers or Logan Couture Sharks are hardly a replacement in the middle. It's the same for any signature that could be made, like Lamoriello reuniting with James van Riemsdyk or Tyler Bozak, former friends of Toronto.
These are all nice extra pieces for a player like Tavares, who is a franchise. He knows it, and the Islanders too.
But as the clock keeps spinning, the probabilities become lower and lower as it returns.
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