5 best fits for John Tavares in NHL free agency
 As the newly appointed general manager of the New York Islanders, Lou Lamoriello will be doing everything he can to convince John Tavares to stay on the Island. The current hockey landscape may get in his way.
On July 1, all eyes in the hockey world will be watching to see where John Tavares lands. True, No. 1 centers in their prime simply do not hit the open market with the same regularity as they did before the introduction of the NHL cap. The economics bear that out. With only a finite amount of money to be thrown around, NHL stars have opted for security provided to them by the franchises that draft them. It’s tough to create bidding wars when so few teams have the ability or willingness to spend right up to the cap.
Whereas other major North American sports leagues may pay bloated salaries to attract free agents with no recourse against a hard cap, NHL players often have a penchant for taking pay cuts to allow their clubs to have enough cap space to provide them with help. It’s hard to win throughout the year when one player on an active 23-man roster is eating up 15 percent of the money. The current landscape has turned cap space in to an asset and thus taken bargaining power from players. This doesn’t mean general managers won’t spend, but it does make them more reluctant and is conducive to a culture that places winning above all else.
Having said that, Tavares’ agent will be advising his client to test the market on July 1. Since the “cap strike” of 2004, there has perhaps never been a better time for a free agent of his abilities to be without a contract. Not only is the cap expected to rise by at least $5 million, but there are several interesting teams laying in wait with $20 million or more in cap space. Several of them looking for exactly what Tavares brings to the table. It’s not what Islanders fans want to hear, but it is a perfect storm that will probably see their franchise player blown right out the door. A tough pill to swallow for a team that missed the playoffs and who won’t receive compensation for his exit.
Moreover, with the recent shakeup in the Islanders’ front office, some believe that Taveras’ time there has officially drawn to a close.
Here are the top 5 landing spots for John Tavares.
1. Vegas Golden Knights
By the end of the day on July 1, 2018, the Golden Knights could be welcoming their first captain in franchise history. With a whirlwind inaugural season coming to a close for Las Vegas, expectations will be sky-high for the team to continue building on their success. Enter John Tavares.
Architect George McPhee did a masterful job of using the NHL expansion rules to his advantage. He drafted a team that can compete now and the franchise is still set up for long term success. With a hoard of draft picks over the next few years and a prospect class that already includes the likes of Cody Glass, Nicholas Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom, the Golden Knights could be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders for the next decade.
"” I want to play for a team that is doing everything to try to win…” — John Tavares in January 2018."
While an added benefit of playing in Nevada is that the State does not tax personal income, pro athletes are often subject to the infamous jock tax. This forces them to pay taxes on their income earned playing and even practicing on the road in various jurisdictions, and thus renders home state liabilities as a marginal benefit in the entire scope of the salary negotiation process. Tavares would keep more of his money playing for the Golden Knights, but there is a reason free agents don’t flock en masse to tax-haven states. Players want to win, and a bit of money saved doesn’t equate to chasing success with a formidable franchise. Luckily for Vegas, the team wins, plays in a state-of-the-art new arena in the heart of the Strip and has an unprecedented foothold on a market that has been starved for pro sports.
The Golden Knights currently sit with about $23 million in cap space, and that’s before the raise projected this summer. Signing John Tavares could mean parting ways with James Neal to stay away from cap trouble, but would allow them to hold on to RFA William Karlsson. The NHL favors center-heavy teams and no hockey fan would be upset about swapping Tavares for Neal.