Confirmed with Link: Tavares to Toronto (7 years, $11M AAV)

[BeLeafInTheFuture]

The anticipation for this was nothing like I have seen before, it even trumped the Stamkos hype. I'm still buzzing we managed to get John Tavares here in Toronto. This team is special and is only going to get even better as the younger players develop and gain more experience. The future is bright, the future is blue and white.

 

[Pi]

Pathetic response form the islander fans. No issue being upset but the responses in there really emphasises the small minded small market syndrome going on. There is a "I hate john Tavares" thread that is so stupidly sad its embarrassing. I get we would be pissed if Matthews left but im fairly confident we wouldn't get a "we hate Matthews" thread, maybe one clown would start it but it would be locked pretty soon after.

What they need is "we hate management and owners" thread its their fault for never coming close to supporting JT in his 9 years there. How can you blame him for leaving when they have shown him absolutely nothing to suggest they are serious about winning

Yep. I guess those guys have never ever changed their jobs and gone to a better place if they feel the last place was miserable.

Tavares is allowed to change his mind. Apparently, he requested the management not to trade him at the deadline. He didn’t make the promise to Lou or Trotz.

If the old management isnt there, why should he have to honour that request? He didn’t chase the money. He chased his childhood dream (a dream that up until July 1st, was mocked relentlessly by those same Isles fans). “Lou signed Trotz, haha Toronto, you aren’t getting Tavares now. I guess you can go after Doughty....oh wait..”

Tavares owed them nothing. Nine years of a superstar on a discounted contract. 24 playoff games to show for it. That’s it.

I’m hoping he lights them up every single time. There should be no issues doing that with guys like Kuhnhackl, Komarov, Martin and Filppula on the team.

 

[IBeL34f]

Pathetic response form the islander fans. No issue being upset but the responses in there really emphasises the small minded small market syndrome going on. There is a "I hate john Tavares" thread that is so stupidly sad its embarrassing. I get we would be pissed if Matthews left but im fairly confident we wouldn't get a "we hate Matthews" thread, maybe one clown would start it but it would be locked pretty soon after.

What they need is "we hate management and owners" thread its their fault for never coming close to supporting JT in his 9 years there. How can you blame him for leaving when they have shown him absolutely nothing to suggest they are serious about winning

One guy over there is having a hard time refraining from burning his own son's Tavares jersey while they're at summer camp... That's some next level shit.

 

[NiL8r87]

Pathetic response form the islander fans. No issue being upset but the responses in there really emphasises the small minded small market syndrome going on. There is a "I hate john Tavares" thread that is so stupidly sad its embarrassing. I get we would be pissed if Matthews left but im fairly confident we wouldn't get a "we hate Matthews" thread, maybe one clown would start it but it would be locked pretty soon after.

What they need is "we hate management and owners" thread its their fault for never coming close to supporting JT in his 9 years there. How can you blame him for leaving when they have shown him absolutely nothing to suggest they are serious about winning

I think you overestimate our rationality. We had our Muskoka 5, we bashed Sundin before he left and we had Kessel bashers before he was traded.

 

[Walshy7]

One guy over there is having a hard time refraining from burning his own son's Tavares jersey while they're at summer camp... That's some next level ****.

hahaha, that is so pathetic. exactly what is wrong with the world today, hatred breeding hatred that kid will know grow up thinking it is ok to burn and be violent when a decision is made that he doesn't like.

I have to believe that guy is joking though, who would do that to their own kid

 

[Walshy7]

I think you overestimate our rationality. We had our Muskoka 5, we bashed Sundin before he left and we had Kessel bashers before he was traded.

how many threads about hating Kessel? I remember 0 I do remember a "thank you kessel" type thread for sure though.

 

[IBeL34f]

hahaha, that is so pathetic. exactly what is wrong with the world today, hatred breeding hatred that kid will know grow up thinking it is ok to burn and be violent when a decision is made that he doesn't like.

I have to believe that guy is joking though, who would do that to their own kid

They said they're going to have to wait through a couple of tough weeks until their son comes back, because it will have to be the son's decision to burn it.

It did not come across as a joke, especially considering fans on their Board have already been posting pictures of legitimately burned/melted Tavares jerseys.

Edit - Seriously:

 

[Walshy7]

They said they're going to have to wait through a couple of tough weeks until their son comes back, because it will have to be the son's decision to burn it.

It did not come across as a joke, especially considering fans on their Board have already been posting pictures of legitimately burned/melted Tavares jerseys.

haha, I did feel sorry for them but now its just hilarious. I especially like that they plan to offer sheet Nylander for revenge yet are too dense to work out its physically impossible because they don't have all their own picks

 

[Nineteen67]

Finally, found a downside to the Tavares signing...I now want summer to end.

Let’s not rush summer out the door. Maybe, they could televise workouts to quench our thirst.

 

[Nineteen67]

I didn’t like that goal...

 

[leburn98]

haha, I did feel sorry for them but now its just hilarious. I especially like that they plan to offer sheet Nylander for revenge yet are too dense to work out its physically impossible because they don't have all their own picks

I hear there is so much salt on Long Island that the New York City Department of Sanitation is predicting a record low demand in snow removal services in 2018.

 

[crump]

Still unreal to me. A superstar UFA in their prime signing in Toronto.

 

[saltming]

Yep. I guess those guys have never ever changed their jobs and gone to a better place if they feel the last place was miserable.

Tavares is allowed to change his mind. Apparently, he requested the management not to trade him at the deadline. He didn’t make the promise to Lou or Trotz.

If the old management isnt there, why should he have to honour that request? He didn’t chase the money. He chased his childhood dream (a dream that up until July 1st, was mocked relentlessly by those same Isles fans). “Lou signed Trotz, haha Toronto, you aren’t getting Tavares now. I guess you can go after Doughty....oh wait..”

Tavares owed them nothing. Nine years of a superstar on a discounted contract. 24 playoff games to show for it. That’s it.

I’m hoping he lights them up every single time. There should be no issues doing that with guys like Kuhnhackl, Komarov, Martin and Filppula on the team.

I've read the quote and Tavares said, "I don't want to be traded". He did not ask not to be traded. Snow then approached Tavares and said, "I'm not going to trade you".
Imo that completely different than Tavares approaching management and asking not to be traded then leaving.

 

[Borschevsky]

I've read the quote and Tavares said, "I don't want to be traded". He did not ask not to be traded. Snow then approached Tavares and said, "I'm not going to trade you".
Imo that completely different than Tavares approaching management and asking not to be traded then leaving.

Tone and context are important here. It can be difficult to say what that the intended meaning was. It feels like people are twisting the quote, if any, to fit their narrative.

If that is indeed the quote everyone is referring to then I agree that it's not the same as "Don't trade me".

 

[Pi]

I've read the quote and Tavares said, "I don't want to be traded". He did not ask not to be traded. Snow then approached Tavares and said, "I'm not going to trade you".
Imo that completely different than Tavares approaching management and asking not to be traded then leaving.

Exactly. Kessel didn’t want to go away from the Leafs either and he made his NTC list in such a way that it would be very hard to trade him. Just because he doesn’t want to be traded doesn’t mean the management has no power.

Snow could have just given Tavares an ultimatum. “Listen Tavares, I respect you and your choice but I also have to make a tough call if you cannot sign and commit to the Islanders before the deadline but that’s not a problem, the door can still remain open and if you wish to come back in July we will talk about it then”

Not Tavares’ fault that the management is dumb.

 

[Silver91]

So excited for this team and what it can do now. Even without him, we were looking great next season. Now, with 91 on this team, it can be a really special decade that we're coming up on. Still have to play the games, but with our elite depth up front, coupled with the youngsters that are looking like they should transition into the lineup seamlessly, this team is so well set up going forward!

The anticipation for this was nothing like I have seen before, it even trumped the Stamkos hype.

I think the biggest difference is where we are now, vs. 2 years ago. As Dubas said, nobody knew for sure what Matthews would be until he actually played for us, Marner still hadn't played a game, Willy had only had his first cup of coffee, even Kadri was coming off a year where he was only starting to take the first steps to where he is now. We were coming off a season where he lead the team with 45 points and Leo Komarov was our representative at the All-Star Game.

Nobody could blame Stamkos for not wanting to risk 2-3 chances at a Stanley Cup, during his prime, by leaving a Lightning team that had played 7 playoff series in the previous 2 seasons to join a Leafs team that was in the middle of a rebuild.

JT is coming in at a time where Matthews is a top 5 C in the league, Kadri now has back-to-back 30-goal seasons, Marner and Nylander have a pair of 60-point seasons each, Rielly is a #1 defender, and we have a top-10, 5 if he plays with consistency, goaltender.

The anticipation came from knowing that we are in a place where it's realistic for a star player to want to come here, and what it would do for our chances at winning right now, rather than a couple years from now.

 

[wingman75]

I just like to come into this thread each morning to make sure it's still true... it is!! Carry on.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Exactly. Kessel didn’t want to go away from the Leafs either and he made his NTC list in such a way that it would be very hard to trade him. Just because he doesn’t want to be traded doesn’t mean the management has no power.

Snow could have just given Tavares an ultimatum. “Listen Tavares, I respect you and your choice but I also have to make a tough call if you cannot sign and commit to the Islanders before the deadline but that’s not a problem, the door can still remain open and if you wish to come back in July we will talk about it then”

Not Tavares’ fault that the management is dumb.

I have no idea why they don't. Like Yzerman didn't either. etc, and Stamkos went back.

now if they were banking on the "no one ever leaves." philosophy that's one thing, I guess, (again, as Tavares is the first 1st ov. pick to move since the current UFA rules began in 1995), and is the first high caliber UFA to move since 2005. it just doesn't happen. But I personally wouldn't have put my stock in that, i'd have moved Tavares. (I would have moved Stamkos, and if Doughty hadn't signed i'd have moved him too).

 

[Erndog]

How many of you go to bed thinking of potential line combinations and/or trades/signings? I'm 33 and have been doing this for as long as I can remember.

I love inserting JT's name into the lineup. Still feels amazing!

 

[saltming]

Tone and context are important here. It can be difficult to say what that the intended meaning was. It feels like people are twisting the quote, if any, to fit their narrative.

If that is indeed the quote everyone is referring to then I agree that it's not the same as "Don't trade me".

“Well, I don’t want to be traded,” he said after the team’s rigorous practice Friday at Northwell Health Ice Center. It was the Islanders’ first workout after two one-sided losses following the All-Star break and his first appearance after general manager Garth Snow told The Athletic in a text message Thursday, “I’m not trading John Tavares.”

Tavares happy Islanders have no plans to trade him

 

[saltming]

Exactly. Kessel didn’t want to go away from the Leafs either and he made his NTC list in such a way that it would be very hard to trade him. Just because he doesn’t want to be traded doesn’t mean the management has no power.

Snow could have just given Tavares an ultimatum. “Listen Tavares, I respect you and your choice but I also have to make a tough call if you cannot sign and commit to the Islanders before the deadline but that’s not a problem, the door can still remain open and if you wish to come back in July we will talk about it then”

Not Tavares’ fault that the management is dumb.

My thoughts are very similar. When snow knew Tavares was not going resign and at least test free agency the ball was in his court.
Should he have traded Tavares and hope he would comeback as a UFA? Imo that would have been a bad move. Keeping him you can sweeten the deal with an eight year contract, which gives the hone team some leverage. If snow had a gut feeling he would not be able to resign him then he should have made a trade.
End of the day I don't think Tavares duped the NYI the way some of their fans are expressing.

 

[IBeL34f]

Exactly. Kessel didn’t want to go away from the Leafs either and he made his NTC list in such a way that it would be very hard to trade him. Just because he doesn’t want to be traded doesn’t mean the management has no power.

Snow could have just given Tavares an ultimatum. “Listen Tavares, I respect you and your choice but I also have to make a tough call if you cannot sign and commit to the Islanders before the deadline but that’s not a problem, the door can still remain open and if you wish to come back in July we will talk about it then”

Not Tavares’ fault that the management is dumb.

I can't remember if it was on the Islanders' Board, or where it was, but I'd read that Tavares said he wouldn't be interested in coming back to New York if the Islanders traded him mid-season.

Sign an extension, or we're trading you. If the player isn't willing to sign an extension, it's your job to ship them out, or risk losing them for nothing. They had 9 years to build a real team around JT and they failed -

 

[MJ65]

 

[ShaneFalco]

John Tavares on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ pitch: “Kyle [Dubas] – It was amazing how he kind of carried himself and delivered his message and vision on why I would be a good fit here as a hockey player”


John Tavares on the Toronto Maple Leafs' pitch: "Kyle [Dubas] - It was amazing how he kind of carried himself and delivered his message and vision on why I would be a good fit here as a hockey player" | Maple Leafs Hotstove

Good read

 

[shakes]

Well now, the conspiracy theorist in me finds this post from the Leafs official Twitter a little "disturbing". Seems one person is missing from this wallpaper extravaganza.