25 top NHL free agents teams will be dying to sign in 2018
By David Rouben
1. John Tavares
The Steven Stamkos sweepstakes dominated all of the headlines during the 2016 offseason and, so far, the same thing is happening with John Tavares. Stamkos wound up re-signing with the Lightning on a cheap deal for a player of his caliber. Tavares will command more than that — it would be a surprise if his next contract is less than eight figures.
Not only will the Islanders have to fend off interest from nearly half of the league, they must convince him that he can win in Long Island — a tall task, considering he’s only made the playoffs in three of his nine seasons in the league, despite his best efforts.
Why he’s in demand: There isn’t much left to say about Tavares that hasn’t already been said. Even the most casual hockey fan knows who he is since his trophy case is littered outside of the NHL. He played all 82 games for the first time since 2014-15, and nearly matched the career numbers he put up in that season. He has steadily worked on improving his defensive game, and now looks like a perennial Selke Trophy candidate.
Teams with the best chance to sign him: The Islanders have a number of reasons they can list to convince Tavares to stay. He’s got great chemistry with Josh Bailey, they traded for his good friend Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal’s development should convince him they’re building towards something special. Not to mention the idea of familiarity. Long Island is the only home he’s ever known plus, if you think that Mark Hunter’s arrival was a coincidence, think again:
Something to remember about Mark Hunter: He was owner, Vice President and General Manager of the London Knights when John Tavares played there before being drafted in 2009. Keep that in mind over the next few weeks. #Isles
— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) May 23, 2018
Tavares’ initial meeting with Lou Lamoriello went well, but this saga is far from over. At this point, the question should be who isn’t trying to sign Tavares. But one of the teams that stands out is the Toronto Maple Leafs.
They have been building towards this moment ever since they missed out on Stamkos. Having Matthews, Kadri and Tavares down the middle would put the fear of God into any defense that gets in their way. The fact that they have to contend with Lamoriello now should only make their pursuit of him even more aggressive:
Dear Satan,
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 22, 2018
I don't ask for much, but can you please compel John Tavares to sign a cap friendly seven-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and have him declare it's because "I believe in what Kyle is building here?"
Yours in hellfire chaos,
Greg
The Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks are also reported to have serious interest in Tavares. Even if Joe Thornton re-signs and is ready to go, injuries have caught up to him and he can no longer be relied on as a no. 1 option. And after the Jonathan Drouin at center experiment didn’t work, it’s encouraging to see the Canadiens finally take their pursuit of a top-line center seriously by going after the biggest fish. His presence would also revitalize Max Pacioretty, who struggled badly last season.
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For now, the Islanders hold all the cards in their negotiations with Tavares. If they successfully re-sign him, the pressure is on them to surround him with talent capable of challenging for a Stanley Cup. If they don’t capture his signature, then let the bidding war begin!