Tavares’ value soaring for Islanders

Captain's early-season dominance upping ante for GM Snow

October 31, 2017 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Islanders captain John Tavares accepts congratulations from the bench after scoring his team-high 11th goal of the season, and second of the game, Monday night against Vegas at Downtown’s Barclays Center. AP Photo by Kathy Willens

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At this rate, the New York Islanders aren’t just going to have to come up with between $10 and $12 million annually to keep John Tavares in orange and blue for the foreseeable future.

They might have to give him a considerable stake in the arena they’re trying to get built in Elmont, N.Y.

The Islanders’ longtime captain, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency following this season, is playing like the two-time Hart Trophy (NHL award for Most Valuable Player) finalist he was in both 2013 and 2015.

Having already captured the league’s Star of the Week Award for a couple of hat trick performances against Arizona last Tuesday and at Nashville on Saturday, the 27-year-old center continued his torrid play during New York’s 6-3 victory over Vegas on Monday night in front of 11,113 fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Tavares scored two goals, a power-play tally in the second period that evened the contest and a breakaway score in the final stanza that put the finishing touches on New York’s fifth victory in six games.

The Isles also improved to 4-0-1 at Barclays Center, continuing their strong play in an arena they’d like to leave as soon as their Bid for Approval for the Belmont site is given the green light, and an actual facility is built on the land adjacent to the legendary Long Island race track.

“We got contributions from up and down the lineup,” said Tavares, who has nine goals in his last five games and 11 overall this season, ranking second in the league behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov.

“We’re just playing with pace, the execution is there and we’re just competing really hard,” Tavares added. “A lot of 50-50 pucks, even pucks maybe we shouldn’t get, we’re retrieving back and that’s creating offense.”

They are also finally clicking on the power play as Tavares’ deflection past Vegas goalie Oscar Dansk forged a 2-2 deadlock at 14:50 of the second period before emerging rookie Mathew Barzal put New York in front for good on the man advantage just under three minutes later.

“We’ve given up way too many [special teams goals] to start the year, but good response, a couple of big goals that put us in some good position and gave us some energy and momentum,” said Tavares after the Isles improved to 5-for-10 on the power play in their last two contests after going a dismal 2-for-33 previously this year.

Tavares is tied for fifth in the league in points with 16 through New York’s first 12 contests, pacing the team to a 7-4-1 start and driving them within one point of New Jersey and Columbus for first place in the Metropolitan Division standings.

General manager Garth Snow and the Isles’ co-owners, Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky, spent this past summer trying, ultimately in vain, to get Tavares signed to a long-term contract extension.

But with the franchise’s arena plans in flux, the former first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft opted to play out the final year of his contract without a deal in place.

That immediately put even more pressure on the Isles to keep Tavares here beyond 2017-18, something their collective on-ice performance and future home arena will doubtlessly play a major role in.

To his credit, Tavares has soldiered on without discussing his free-agent plans, and is playing like a man eager to lift his first Stanley Cup for a franchise that hasn’t reached those heights since the halcyon days of the 1980s

The addition of key offseason acquisition Jordan Eberle (two goals, seven assists), the continued scoring punch provided by winger Anders Lee (six goals, six assists) and the emergence of Josh Bailey (three goals, a team-high 11 assists) as a bona fide playmaker have all played a role in New York’s strong start to the campaign.

But Tavares, who didn’t pick up his 11th goal until New Year’s Eve last season, remains the key to the Isles’ success going forward.

“He’s owning the puck, possessing the puck and he led us tonight. We really needed his leadership,” said New York head coach Doug Weight after Tavares notched his seventh career hat trick last week against Arizona, a feat he would repeat just four days later in Nashville with three straight goals in the third period.

Though it’s only been a dozen games, Tavares has proven true to his word that he is eager to help the Isles win games and compete for a championship despite his up-in-the-air status with the franchise.

“For me, it’s just about that journey and us coming together and wanting to achieve that ultimate goal, and that’s what drives us all,” Tavares said before camp opened this year.

Now, it’s up to Snow and company to make sure he doesn’t reach that ultimate goal with another franchise.

Isle Have Another: Bailey extended his points streak to seven games with three assists against Vegas, which entered the contest with seven victories in its first eight contests despite its expansion club status … Veteran netminder Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves against the Golden Knights for his second straight win between the pipes as New York got ready to enjoy a short break before returning to the ice for Thursday night’s visit to Washington to take on the Capitals.