5 NHL teams John Tavares should stay away from in 2018-19

NHL free agency begins on July 1, so it’s time to ponder who Center John Tavares will sign with. Does he stay a New York Islander or move on to greener pastures? We’re going backwards with this one to give you five teams he should avoid at all costs.

We’re nearing the offseason point for all NHL teams. With that, we have to start looking ahead to free agency. This summer will see a few big names testing the market — none more so than center John Tavares and defenseman John Carlson. Both are going to command huge dollars. Both may leave their respective clubs, and both will transform someone’s forward group or blue line tremendously.

We can think of a few teams that should and likely will make a serious push for one or the other. Yet the decision ultimately lies in the hands of the player. Considering this will likely be their final home until the retirement party, choosing wisely is absolutely key if intent on winning multiple Stanley Cups.

With that, we offer five teams that Tavares should stay away from if he wants to endure a long and happy career. Before we begin, let’s remember that there are many factors involved — current strength of the team, future salary cap issues, recent playoff success, future team strength, etc. We’re also of the mind that Tavares will be looking for a long-term deal as opposed to a short contract, so consider that as you read.

5. Vegas Golden Knights

For starters, plenty of teams are already out of the running due to incredible salary cap problems, so Tavares is going to have his options sliced before he even sees the first of July. The Vegas Golden Knights are not one of those teams, as they sport a pretty healthy $25 million in cap space, $30 million if it goes up as projected.

The uncertainty is on what Vegas will do next season while it scrambles to lock up six free agents and five who are restricted. That includes David Perron, who scored 66 points, and James Neal who netted 25 goals. Those two could absolutely leave to other teams, especially as they’ll both command a fairly decent salary.

The other area is what to do with Center William Karlsson. Karlsson is a restricted free agent and is going to get paid after going monster mode with 43 goals and 78 points. But, in the previous two seasons in which he played 81 games a piece, he didn’t come close to those figures. So the gamble for the Golden Knights is clearly there as they are likely to give him a contract similar to or higher than that of Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas will certainly have to let players walk if they intend to sign Karlsson long-term, and make plenty more space to go after Tavares. It also will have seven unrestricted free agents next year. That includes superstar goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

This is all to say that Tavares could sign with the Golden Knights, and it’s definitely feasible. But the team that’s making history at the moment is going to look vastly different in one or two seasons. While they try to build a core that’s strong, to sign with a club based on a feel-good story would be foolish. Locking up Fleury next summer is critical to Vegas’ success in the long-run, though he is 33 so he won’t be around forever. When he goes, the Golden Knights could be searching for answers in net for years to come. That is, if backup Malcolm Subban isn’t the answer. Even if Tavares were looking to win now, there’s no guarantee Vegas repeats this success next season.