How the Islanders forced John Tavares to leave for Toronto

John Tavares left the Islanders for the Maple Leafs, but the move was predicated by what the Islanders did and didn’t do years prior.

The New York Islanders and their fan base have dreaded this day for a long time. After months of speculation, John Tavares has officially left the only NHL organization he has known. The former No. 1 overall pick in 2009 will join the Toronto Maple Leafs. As the ink on the 7-year, $77 million contract dries, Islanders fans want to know why their captain has left the building? There are three major reasons why John Tavares will be sporting a Maple Leafs sweater.

It’s a very happy Canada Day in Toronto. The top NHL free agent on the market decided to join the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have many things going for them, but they had one advantage over every NHL club. Tavares was born in Mississauga, Ontario and his family later moved to Oakville

Tavares may have called another premiere unrestricted free agent for his input. LeBron James left the Miami Heat to return home to Cleveland. Tavares has taken a page out of LeBron’s book by signing with his hometown, Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs gigantic acquisition allows the friends and family of Tavares to watch him play a minimum of 41 times a year. It was unrealistic for his family to travel to Brooklyn to watch the Islanders play. Normally, they would only be able to see Tavares play in Toronto once a year.

It’s unfair to blame the Islanders for losing their No. 1 overall selection in 2009 because of their location. Tavares is a native of Toronto. Unfortunately for the Islanders, Tavares didn’t grow up on Long Island.

You can’t blame the Islanders for not playing their home games in Toronto. However, you can point the finger at the Islanders for their lack of stability. John Tavares was drafted by the Islanders in 2009. He knows there has been a lot of dysfunction in the Islanders franchise for nearly a decade.

There has been a major championship drought on Long Island. The New York Islanders have been nowhere near as successful as they were in the early 1980s. Hall of Famers, Al Arbour and Mike Bossy have yet to be replaced.

When the Islanders drafted John Tavares with the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, New York’s luck was certain to turn around. They finally had a big-time star to lead the franchise into a new era. Unfortunately, the Islanders were unable to keep up their end of the bargain.

When was the last time the Islanders had a reliable goaltender? If Billy Smith is the answer, then it has been more than 30 years. The Islanders have hamstrung themselves over the years by giving ridiculous money to Rick DiPietro. The often injured netminder could never live up to the big contract the Islander gave him. Over the past three decades, the Islanders have had a revolving door in between the pipes. Don’t think the other players don’t notice that.

Tavares has probably lost count on how many goaltenders have played behind him. Al Montoya, Thomas Greiss, Jaroslav Halak, and others have done their best, but it was never good enough. Tavares and his 621 career points was unable to carry his goaltenders on his back to the promised land.

After a dismal reign, Garth Snow was removed as general manager. Hall of Famer, Lou Lamoriello is now running the Islanders. He has had big-time success down the road when he led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups. After his long stint with New Jersey, he decided to join the Maple Leafs organization. Ironically, he helped built the roster that enticed Tavares to sign with Toronto.

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Tavares never knew where he would have to drive to play a home game. When Tavares joined the Islanders, they would play their home games in the Nassau Coliseum. The old and run down arena could be mistaken for the city dump. In 2011, Nassau County rejected the request for the Nassau Coliseum to be replaced. This ruling left the Islanders scratching their head on whether to continuing to play in the Nassau Coliseum.

The Islanders left Long Island for Brooklyn in 2015. The Barclays Center would be the home of the Islanders and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. It’s only been three seasons and it looks like the Islanders are on the move again. The Islanders will play some home games at the Nassau Coliseum and the Barclays Center, while their new arena in Elmont, NY is being constructed. With no shovel in the ground and guarantee that the arena will be built, do you really blame Tavares for signing with the Maple Leafs?

Tavares will play with one the best hockey players on earth beginning in October. Auston Matthews and John Tavares have a great chance to win the Stanley Cup. There is no question Tavares would have wasted away with the Islanders.