BD Gallof: John Tavares Finally Addresses Isles Fans Properly

here comes the salt

No salt just goodbye

here comes the salt
- Codes1087

....It meant so much BUT i did my best....that really doesnt make a ton of sense

Not being a fan of the Islanders and hating the Leafs I wasn't invested as some people. I thought JT pulled a scumbag move by not allowing a trade and then waiting until the end to sign kinda like a Lebron type sideshow but after reading that my mind has changed a little bit. The guy has a lot of class and I can see why he was the Captain of the team not just for his skill. I still don't like what he did but I do have a lot more respect for him...

Not being a fan of the Islanders and hating the Leafs I wasn't invested as some people. I thought JT pulled a scumbag move by not allowing a trade and then waiting until the end to sign kinda like a Lebron type sideshow but after reading that my mind has changed a little bit. The guy has a lot of class and I can see why he was the Captain of the team not just for his skill. I still don't like what he did but I do have a lot more respect for him...
- Mino42

What?

The man had a limited NMC, given by his team when they signed him.... I don't even remember the Islanders asking him to either wave it or give out a list....

What?
- Scabeh

By making them think he was going to resign so the lost him for nothing? Didn't think that would be hard to figure out.

By making them think he was going to resign so the lost him for nothing? Didn't think that would be hard to figure out.
- Mino42

I don't think that's what happened. They knew there was a real possibility he wasn't re-signing with them. I'd probably still be a little angry if I was an Islander fan, but overall I think that was a good read.

I don't really view this in the best way personally. Loyalty says a lot about a person's character and I think the way he left the Isles with nothing... Not cool on his part.

Karlsson is kind of in the middle of the same thing and I've lost a lot of respect for him.

I always thought there was something special about a player staying with one team their entire career.

I don't really view this in the best way personally. Loyalty says a lot about a persons character and I think they way he left the Isles with nothing... Not cool on his part.

Karlsson is kind of in the middle of the same thing and I've lost a lot of respect for him.

I always thought there was something special about a player staying with one team their entire career.
- Maverick1818

By playing for the worst owner in the sport in a terrible market, that is on Karlsson?

When did he give them the impression he would resign? They signed him to a contract when he had limited RFA leverage. They wasted his prime. Now he left to hopefully have a strong back half of a career on a well managed team.

I don't really view this in the best way personally. Loyalty says a lot about a persons character and I think they way he left the Isles with nothing... Not cool on his part.

Karlsson is kind of in the middle of the same thing and I've lost a lot of respect for him.

I always thought there was something special about a player staying with one team their entire career.
- Maverick1818

Depends on the player though too. Ray Bourque being moved at the end to get a Cup was a nice gesture by the Bruins

I mean, "finally," if you disregard his immediate open letter to isle fans on July 1...

Dem tears is salty

I don't really view this in the best way personally. Loyalty says a lot about a person's character and I think the way he left the Isles with nothing... Not cool on his part.

Karlsson is kind of in the middle of the same thing and I've lost a lot of respect for him.

I always thought there was something special about a player staying with one team their entire career.
- Maverick1818

It's only special when the team is of the same quality as the player.

By playing for the worst owner in the sport in a terrible market, that is on Karlsson?


- tomburton99

A team that just traded away their best goal scorer for nothing just to make Karlsson happy, Then Karlsson went on saying how Ottawa is home and how he wants to stay here until the end of his career, then refused an $11 Million time 8 year extension.

He just flat out lied to the fans.... not cool in my books

What?

The man had a limited NMC, given by his team when they signed him.... I don't even remember the Islanders asking him to either wave it or give out a list....

Oh it was limited? I thought it was full NMC. Either way, my stance is "don't sign a player to a NMC if you want to be able to trade him". That poop is on the GM, not the player. He's exercising his contractual rights. Sucks for NYI fans, similar thing happened with Sundin in Toronto. Not the player's fault and he shouldn't be looked at to be the team's savior if he's no longer in the picture.

Depends on the player though too. Ray Bourque being moved at the end to get a Cup was a nice gesture by the Bruins
- ChonDerry

Little different situation though. It's not like Bourque seemed like he was going to resign and then changed his mind last minute and screwed over the Bruins.

A team that just traded away their best goal scorer for nothing just to make Karlsson happy, Then Karlsson went on saying how Ottawa is home and how he wants to stay here until the end of his career, then refused an $11 Million time 8 year extension.

He just flat out lied to the fans.... not cool in my books
- Maverick1818

Well yeah, when his wife is being harassed about her dead child. That kinda happens. Also, he's not the one who alienated fans year after year by refusing to keep the likes of Hossa, Chara, Spezza, Redden, Havlat and others.

By making them think he was going to resign so the lost him for nothing? Didn't think that would be hard to figure out.
- Mino42

He never told them he was going to resign, otherwise he would have signed the goddamn contract extention months ago.

It was his right as a player to keep all his options open, including coming back to the Islanders.

They decided not to trade him and take the chance he'd come back. He didn't. End of story.

If I was an Islanders fan, I'd be much angrier at the team's management than John Tavares.

Well yeah, when his wife is being harassed about her dead child. That kinda happens. Also, he's not the one who alienated fans year after year by refusing to keep the likes of Hossa, Chara, Spezza, Redden, Havlat and others.
- tomburton99

I agree that harassment was not cool and I don't like that it's never been proven who did it.

Other than Ovi, Hossa was always my favorite player, followed by Spezza. So trust me I get it.

But telling fans at the end of the season after all of this that he wants to stay here his entire career and that his intention is to sign an extension and then refusing to sign even after the team does all of that for you... That's not okay.

I have the same issue with Traverse, he said the Isles were in the running for him to sign the whole time. So, by him refusing any offers and leaving for the leafs without notice. To me that's pretty disloyal. If I was an Isle fan, I'd be pissed at him.

I agree that harassment was not cool and I don't like that it's never been proven who did it.

Other than Ovi, Hossa was always my favorite player, followed by Spezza. So trust me I get it.

But telling fans at the end of the season after all of this that he wants to stay here his entire career and that his intention is to sign an extension and then refusing to sign even after the team does all of that for you... That's not okay.

I have the same issue with Traverse, he said the Isles were in the running for him to sign the whole time. So, by him refusing any offers and leaving for the leafs without notice. To me that's pretty disloyal. If I was an Isle fan, I'd be pissed at him.
- Maverick1818

Blame. The. Owner. It's. His. Fault.

I don't really view this in the best way personally. Loyalty says a lot about a person's character and I think the way he left the Isles with nothing... Not cool on his part.

Karlsson is kind of in the middle of the same thing and I've lost a lot of respect for him.

I always thought there was something special about a player staying with one team their entire career.
-Maverick1818

Tavares had no say in getting drafted by the Isles. The Isles organization had a ton of time to earn his loyalty. They did NOTHING to earn it. Quite the opposite. And that's right: loyalty is earned, it's not something a team deserves just because they drafted you. He's more loyal to his home province than the team he was forced to play for that was grossly mismanaged and couldn't even provide him a solid patch of ice to play on... Fine by me.

Same with Karlsson. Worst owner in hockey. Bad situation. No reason to be loyal to a team who has no interest in winning. Walk away. He owes them nothing. He did his sentence.

That said...waiting here in Buffalo for Eichel to walk to Boston after his 8 years are up... Won't hold it against him if he does.

Blame. The. Owner. It's. His. Fault.
- tomburton99

I don't like Melnyk, just like 99.99% of Sens fans, and I agree he has a lot of blame. But some of the blame is on Karlsson as well

Certainly think he was sincere, especially about growing up on Long Island. More succinctly he "grew up" in this NY Sports market for these past 9 years with its 4 major sports and 9 major league teams. The Isles may be number 8 and John probably like most players listened to the NY radio show banter, read the blogs etc. After years of hearing Blue Jays fans and other small market teams complain about the Yankees get all of the top players, John knew the allure of playing on the big stage. Toronto still is the number one Canadian hockey market, even ahead of MTL with its 26 cups and the Canadian people still are smarting from their last Leaf Cup in 67 and Canadien Cup in 93. I'm sure that Leaf Pride, Canada Pride and Little Boy Fantasy fed John's emotion on July 1 as he paced around his Toronto home swimming pool...shaped like a maple leaf.