John Tavares is about to become a whole lot richer in the next week.
The Islanders captain could become a free agent on Sunday and is a lock to earn at least $10 million+ on his next contract, but there’s an important rule that hockey fans should keep in mind as his situation unfolds. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun pointed out that Tavares can only sign an 8-year deal if it’s with the Isles and is before midnight on Sunday (morning?). Otherwise he can only sign for 7 years with them or any other team.
You’ve got to think that there’s a good chance he’ll be on the move if a deal isn’t reached by July 1. Why wouldn’t he just sign a deal and get an extra year on his contract if he knew that he wanted to stay there? The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks are among the top teams in pursuit of the centre’s services.
The people of New York are doing everything they can to keep their All-Star. The Islanders have completely renovated their personnel, firing former GM Garth Snow and Head coach Doug Weight and replacing them with Lou Lamiorello and Barry Trotz. A local bagel store is even offering him free bagels if he stays.
It’s going to be interesting to see whether Tavares goes with an eight, or seven-year contract.
(H/T Pierre LeBrun)
