Peter DeBoer missed out on the John Tavares Sweepstakes, but he still has nothing but praise for the 27-year-old.
The San Jose Sharks head coach joined Michael Landsberg and former Toronto Maple Leaf Carlo Colaiacovo, where the three talked about Tavares joining the team. DeBoer explained the process of trying to recruit the Mississauga native, and followed his explanation by arguing that nobody has worked harder at his game than Tavares.
Tavares obviously entered the NHL with a unique skill-set, however, he didn’t possess the same natural features that past first overall players have entered the league with. The centre’s puck control has always been strong but his skating was a weak point of his game. After years of training, though, JT ‘s skating is now up there with the best in the game.
DeBoer’s ties with Tavares go back to the OHL, where he coached against him for the Kitchener Rangers. Tavares entered the league at just 15 years old while DeBoer was still coaching in the league, so logically the 50-year-old knows him better than most.
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DeBoer will face Tavares in a Leafs jersey for the first time when San Jose hosts Toronto on November 15th.
