On July 1, 2017 New York Islander fans officially began holding their breath. That date signified the start of a one-year window in which the team had to sign John Tavares.
Now, it is May 23, 2018, and their franchise player and captain remains without a new deal. That deadline, just five short weeks away, hangs over fans and the Islanders organization like a dark cloud.
Recently, there was what you might call a franchise-altering move on Long Island/in Brooklyn (this two stadium thing is confusing). The team announced that they had hired legendary general manager Lou Lamoriello to become their president of hockey operations.