The New York Islanders have two main concerns this offseason: re-signing captain and current face of the franchise John Tavares, and finding a stable home. Today’s updates address both those issues.
- Newsday’s Arthur Staple says that the Islanders will probably offer Tavares eight years and around $10MM a year. This is a no-brainer for the team, who can offer Tavares one more year than any other team as long as Tavares remains an Islander. The money also makes sense. Tavares is a franchise player in the prime of his career, and will most likely garner contracts comparable to Jonathan Toews and Anze Kopitar.
- What may temper expectations, however, is that Tavares underwent surgery on his right hand last month, Staple reports. The surgery addressed a lingering problem that plagued Tavares during the season, but should not impede his offseason. Tavares will take the cast off next week with plenty of time to spare.
- The Islanders received official notice from its landlords Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment—who run the Barclays Center—opening the licensing agreement negotiating window. If no deal is reached, either side can choose to maintain the status quo or opt out of the deal. According to Newsday’s Jim Baumbach and Robert Brodsky, who reported the story, the Isles could leave as early as next season, or Barclays could force them out after the 2018-19 season.