Pretty sure Tavares is just a gutless puke, and when it came down to it was afraid to come out and say that he wanted to go home. So he let the clock run out and absolutely inflicted maximum damage to us in the process. His inaction over an extended period of time harmed this franchise more than the decision to leave ultimately does. You'll find this often happens in the real world too. People really get hurt when you string them along...you waste their time and energy in addition to all the noise that comes with it. It's one of the more ruthless ways to treat another person (especially when it's calculated) and a lot of it stems from cowardice, lack of giving a sh*t or both. I think in Tavares' case it was both. I'm not buying the theatrics.
However, this is a business and in some senses it's a lot different. Some of the fault lies with the organization and Snow for not dealing last year. But, I really do think this club was misled over a long period of time and we completely misjudged his character. I also think we genuinely thought we had a contender early in the season. When you look at the external and internal factors...that's tough to do when the guy grew up literally as part of your organization. You think you know who the person is, then they blindside you in the most spineless way possible.
I view Tavares by his collective actions, not the presser. The added context of the Islanders player reactions (or lack thereof) makes it abundantly clear what happened here. He fooled the team, the management and organization. He is what he is. Legacy and character are forever tarnished and will never be considered a true Islander. I do not expect this organization to welcome him back. They shouldn't.
And with that, I've had my fill of John Tavares talk.