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CHICAGO – When John Tavares decided to sign an overtime with the New York Islanders and a free trial agency, he became the most interesting man in hockey.
NHL stars do not normally succeed, so Tavares returned to Toronto to sign a $ 77 million, seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs. The team members also looked closely and wondered what the long-term impact might be.
"Even if we were not directly affiliated, it would have been interesting to follow him because you do not see him often," said Islanders winger Anders Lee. "Who knows if this will set a precedent or not or something like that."
The first returns are mixed. Tyler Seguin hopes that a long-term deal can be reached with the Stars before the start of the regular season, while Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene has begun to question on what it could be. Seguin said he had not been so far to imagine himself in Tavares shoes.
"I did not think much about it because my goal was always to be a Dallas star," Seguin said Friday. "This plan has not changed."
Often, there is no plan yet. Although Seguin said that there had been a positive dialogue between his agent and the Stars in recent days, Duchene did not talk to the Senators about an overtime and Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson is the constant subject of the rumors commercial.
Duchene feels better than at the beginning of previous seasons, while he was less than happy in Colorado and that he did not know where he would be next. This time, his uncertainty was not so bad after seeing Tavares go to a free agency and have the chance to choose his destination.
"It gives you something to think about because you want to make the best decision for yourself," Duchene said. "Sometimes the way the team does things can trigger a different response from the individual and vice versa. This is not a takeaway thing.
Tavares understands this. He had to weigh nine years with the Islanders against recent struggles to make the playoffs and the potential offered by teams like the Maple Leafs and Sharks.
His situation was so often compared to that of Steven Stamkos – who signed again with the Tampa Bay Lightning on the eve of a free agency in 2016 – that Tavares did not expect Seguin, Duchene or anyone else to the same feelings.
"Once I went through the regular season and I relaxed after a while, I realized that this could be my only chance to experience something like that and to be able to see what else . is there, "said Tavares.This obviously led to a change.I think it depends on the type of person and the situation, and I guess it's kind of an optics or a circumstances in this situation.
Karlsson could go on the road to Tavares next summer, but any team that will trade for him until the trade deadline will probably want to put him on the safe side in the long run. This could also be the case for Duchene.
Seguin, who worried last week that a new contract with Dallas has not yet been signed, is much more likely to sign in the coming weeks largely because of the talent of the Stars around him. the potential they have to face. Captain and teammate Jamie Benn signed until 2024-25 and does not feel like he has to sell Seguin or give him advice on the negotiation process.
"The contract will be settled," Benn said. "People think it's more complicated than it already is … but he's won all the money he's going to win and he needs it."
Seguin, Karlsson and Duchene will be paid by a team over the next 10 months, as was Tavares. Connor McDavid, Oilers captain and Art Ross Trophy winner, took the most common route to sign the longest possible deal in Edmonton for the highest average salary in the league.
"Hockey has always been the 'I do what I'm told' and 'I kind of go where I was told', but he was one of the few guys to take his stuff in hand and respect you that, "said McDavid.
"He could have signed the security agreement and signed a long-term contract or a lot of money and would never have thought of that. But he decided he wanted to follow a different path and live his childhood dream and play in Toronto, and you can not really blame him.
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Follow AP Hockey writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno
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More NHL AP: https://apnews.com/tag/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
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