Of all the things John Tavares has to consider when deciding if he is going to return to the Islanders or sign somewhere else as an unrestricted free agent this summer, one big reason to stay might be the prospect of continuing to play alongside one of the best power forwards in the league.
Because that is what Anders Lee has proven himself to be, the hulking 27-year-old Notre Dame product reaching the 40-goal plateau with a tally in the regular-season finale Saturday night in Detroit. It resulted in a 4-3 overtime win that, of course, was won by Tavares in the extra frame, but it also began an offseason that has far more questions than answers.